


Kaishi

by FireThatFox



Category: Naruto
Genre: Danzo is still a jerk, F/M, Non-Mass, Obito died under the rock, Reincarnation, Shisui lives, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:07:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 93,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21782668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireThatFox/pseuds/FireThatFox
Summary: Kaishi, which means start or from the beginning:Madara and Hashirama meet a mysterious pink hair and green eyed girl in the woods, Shizuka (quiet).  Shizuka impresses the brothers with her strength, agility and intelligence, but what they first notice the most about her is her unique beauty.  Both boys vie for her attention and they become great friends over time, but before she can choose between them, she dies.Madara, Hashirama and Shizuka are reincarnated into Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura, the difference is, Sasuke and Naruto know they are the reincarnations of the founding fathers but Sakura doesn’t know she is the reincarnation of their best friend and love, Shizuka.  They all have a second chance at love, who will she choose, or will she die before she gets to choose again.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura & Senju Hashirama, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Itachi, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Madara, Haruno Sakura & Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura/Senju Hashirama, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Madara, Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Shizuka/Madara, shizuka/Hashirama
Comments: 54
Kudos: 116





	1. INTRODUCTION

Chapter One - Pink Haired Peasant

Shizuka waded into the cool water after training for the last few hours. She had gotten to the river at dawn and she guessed it to be around mid day by the growling of her stomach. She grimaced. “First clean up, then food.” She told herself.

She made her way to the low stone in the middle of the river and sat down. After scrubbing herself with sand from the bottom of the river and washing away the salt of her sweat she was enjoying the slow current flowing around her legs. Moving her legs back and forth against the current, watching the water swirl around her she hadn’t noticed the boys watching her from the river’s bank.

“Oi!” The brown haired boy called out to her.

Startled, she whipped her head around , lost her balance and fell into the river. Before she could even stand he was trying to boldly lift her up in his arms to presumably carry her to shore.

“Who do you think you are! Let go! Put me down!” She screamed at him.

When he only tightened his hold on her, she punched him. He fell backward and splashed into the river still holding her in his arms. They both popped back up out of the water spluttering and made their way to the shore to see the black haired boy smirking at them.

“Smooth Hashi.” The black haired boy chided his friend.

“I was trying to save her.” The brown haired boy replied meekly.

“I didn’t need saving you oaf!” Shizuka growled angrily at the brown haired boy.

“I’m sorry I scared you, I didn’t mean to.” He told her smiling.

“I wasn’t scared, you just startled me is all.” She huffed.

“So, what’s your name?” Brown hair asked her.

“Shizuka.” 

“I’m Hashirama and he’s Madara, we come here a lot, we haven’t seen you here before though.” Hashirama said.


	2. Pink Haired Peasant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They meet by accident and grow close through tragedy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick reminder, due to creative licensing, the events in the original such as how old Madara and Hashirama are when they find out their clan's names, differs in my story.

“I’m Hashirama and he’s Madara, we come here a lot, we haven’t seen you here before though.” Hashirama said.

“Um, my family just moved into the area. This is the first time I have been here. I found it while exploring my new home.” She told them.

“Well, find another spot, this one is ours.” Madara said rudely.

“Madara! You mustn't be so rude, she can be here. I’m glad she’s here.” Hashirama tried to apologize to Shizuka but she was too busy glaring at Madara to notice.

“Who are you to tell me if I can be here or not? You don’t own this land!” Her face is flushed with anger and her green eyes spark with malice.

“You’re clearly a peasant, Find somewhere else to do whatever it is you do, birth aside, we have been coming here for years, so find your own spot.” Madara glared at her. He didn’t want some twerp of a girl interfering with his time with his best friend, they were getting older now and didn’t have a lot of time to spend together. She was just in the way.

“I am not a peasant! I was here training, and it is the perfect spot for me, and like I said you don’t own it so you can’t tell me to leave!” She barked right back at him. What a horrible boy she thought to herself, who does this guy think he is.

“Let’s just calm down, there is plenty of space for all three of us here, we can share it, can’t we Madara?” Hashirama makes doey googly eyes at him pleading.

“Fine.” Madara knows it is easier to just give in at this point. Hashirama is looking at the girl like he has a new toy and won’t stop until he gets to play with it.

“Well, anyway, I’m done training, I was just washing up when you two got here, so I’m leaving. Don’t think I’m running away though, I’ll come back here to train whenever I want!” With one last glare at Madara and she didn’t even look at Hashirama, she jumped up and ran away through the trees, her chakra signature fading away rapidly.

“She can run pretty fast, almost as fast as you Madara.” Hashirama grins at his friend.

“I don’t like her. She doesn’t even mask her chakra.” Madara says folding his arms over his chest huffing.

“I think she is wonderful! Did you see she had pink hair? How unusual, and her eyes, they were soooo green! She was neat looking, have you ever seen anyone that looks like her before?” Hashirama was rambling.

Madara sighed and put his hand to his head. He would be hearing about her for days now he just knew it. He did wonder about her though, not in the way Hashirama was going on about her, but she had said she was training before they got there. Was she a Shinobi? Her speed definitely portrayed that she was. The pink hair though, he didn’t know of any pink haired clans in the area, maybe a distant Uzumaki.

“I hope she comes back soon.” Hashirama ended his rambling just as Madara turned his attention back to him.

“Didn’t you have something you wanted to show me?” Madara interrupted him before he could go off on another tangent about pink haired girls.

“What? Oh! Yes! I found a cave here last time that we didn’t know about, this way, let me show you!” Hashirama led the way a bounce in his step.

Hashirama led Madara to a dense patch of trees where the vines of the forest overlapped and draped over the low branches of living and dead trees, some of which had fallen over concealing the entrance to the cave. Hashirama smiled at his friend pulled back a curtain of vines and ducked inside. Madara followed and when his eyes adjusted to the dark his mouth dropped open.

It was incredible. The cave entrance was a bit narrow but it opened up after a few paces into an enormous underground cavern. There was a waterfall dropping down from the ceiling, free falling into a small pool of water big enough for three or four people to swim around in. As incredible as the free falling waterfall was, what was most spectacular were the trees. Madara wondered how trees could grow in such a place, without sunlight, but grow they did, they were thick trunked and tall and beautiful.

“Wow!” Was all Madara managed to get out before Hashirama grabbed his arm and was yanking him to the back of the cavern where a small table and chair was set up, a fire pit and a small stack of firewood.

“I did this last time I was here after I found it. I figured you could help when you came, but I was thinking we could build some futon platforms for fun! That way if we ever needed to we had somewhere to stay!” Hashirama said gleefully.

“It seems a shame to cut down any of these trees though.” Madara was thinking it was a good idea, but the trees were so majestic, he didn’t think it right to kill one for a futon platform they would never use.

“Oh I would never dream of cutting down one of the trees here, outside, we will cut one down outside.” Hashirama suggested.

“Okay, whatever you want, it is a good project, let’s go.” Madara doesn’t really care what they do, he likes sneaking away to spend time with his friend.

Madara and Hashirama spend the rest of their time cutting down a large tree in the forest near the cave and haul it part by part inside and to the back where Hashirama wants to build their futon platforms. By the time they had gotten their tree into the cavern it was time for Madara to go home and Hashirama admitted he should be going as well. They promised to meet back in the cavern instead of by the river the next time they could get away.

A week later, Shizuka was sitting in a tree by the cave when Hashirama called up to her to come down. She dropped out of the tree in front of a smiling Hashirama. She smiled shyly back. Hashirama was much nicer than the other boy, Madara, and she thought they might be able to be friends without the black haired jerk around.

“Shizuka, I have something to show you, come with me.” Hashirama took her by the hand and started to drag her forward in his excitement.

He led her a little ways up the river to a densely overgrown part of the forest by the cliff. He let go of her hand and disappeared behind a thick layer of branches and vines. She hesitated. She didn’t know him very well, she had only met him one time , and even though he seemed a kindly sort she was a bit cautious.

“Shizuka, come here, it’s ok, Trust me, you’ll like it.” He called her from behind the curtain of vines.

She hesitated for a moment more but stooped down to follow him under the vines curious as to what would be here that he wanted to show her so badly.

Much like Madara her mouth fell open. Unlike Madara her eyes sparkled and she smiled widely as she looked around the cavern. She ran to the free falling waterfall in the middle and reached her hands out as far as they would go but still couldn’t catch the water. She was delighted. She spun in a circle by the edge of the pool and that’s when she saw the underground forest.

“It’s like a fairy tale, it is so mystical and beautiful.” She marveled and looked everywhere at once.

“Here, this is where Madara and I are going to build our futon platforms, we can build one for you too if you like?” Hashirama offered generously.

Shizuka frowned, “Are you sure Madara will be okay with that? He doesn’t seem to like me very much and I am not sure I like him either, he is very rude.” She smiled at Hashirama.

“He just don’t know you yet is all, he will come around.” Hashirama tried to reassure her.

“You don’t know me, we just met. “ She laughed but felt it necessary to point out that simple logic to him. She knew she already liked him too though.

“Madara is just a little less trusting, more suspicious by nature, he will like you once he gets to know you.” Hashirama started walking to the pieces of wood and then looked at her.

“I was thinking of making a small house too.” He told her.

“Isn’t that a lot of work, making futon platforms is a lot of work too.” She said.

“Are you part of a clan? I won’t ask for your last name, I can’t tell you mine either but I only wondered. You train by yourself, if you were part of a clan, wouldn’t you train at your compound?” Hashirama watched her. He knew it was out of the blue but he was considering showing her his wood style. He might act the fool a lot of the time and his carefree attitude threw people off but he was actually very intelligent.

“Um, well, that’s not really any of your business. I just like training by the river.” She said shuffling her feet..

Hashirama cocked his head to the side and considered her. “You don’t mask your chakra. I knew you were in the tree miles before I got here, that’s dangerous.”

“I um, don’t know how.” She said quietly.

“We thought that might be the case. That’s why Madara called you a peasant. So, you don’t have a clan?” He asked her smiling. He secretly hoped very much that she didn’t have a clan, it would make it easier for them to be friends. She didn’t know but he was the Heir to the powerful and well respected Senju Clan. It is one of the reasons he and Madara never told one another their last names, they could tell they were both from respected shinobi clans because of their larger chakra levels and they didn’t want a name to come between their friendship.

“I am from a civilian family.” She admitted. She knew what shinobi families thought of civilian born people with chakra, they thought they were still worthless and if you didn’t come from a clan , no one would train you. After all, they wouldn’t want to give away clan secrets to an outsider, much less waste their time training someone who might turn against them one day.

“So that’s why you were training by the river by yourself, but how do you know what to train in?” He was very curious, he had never met a non clan born chakra user, muchless one who tried to train themselves.

“I um, stole a scroll off of a ninja that stayed at an inn in the village.” She admitted.

“You could have gotten killed for doing something like that! That was really stupid Shizuka!” He scolded her. He was also worried, what if she tried to do it again and got caught, she could be tortured to death.

“Well, it isn’t like I snuck into his room or something. He left it under the bed, or it rolled under the bed maybe, he probably doesn't even know where he lost it.” Shizuka tried to defend herself.

“Can I see it?” Hashirama asked her, he wondered what clan it was from.

“No, I don’t have it with me.” She lied.

“Did you know that when you don’t know how to control your chakra it fluxuates when you lie?” Hashirama smiled at her. “I won’t tell anyone and I won’t try to take it from you, I promise, I just want to see what clan it is from. I could take it from you, but we are friends, I don’t want to do that.”

Shizuka bit her lip a little nervous. She had seen shinobi around her village, staying at the inn or passing through, she knew even the young ones were not to be taken lightly. 

“How old are you Hashirama?” She asked.

“I’m 14.” He smiled at her.

“Oh.” She said, Yes, he could take it from her, he probably knew all sorts of things she didn’t. She knew shinobi went to war even as young as age 6, he must be very skilled to have lived to 14. She reaches into her shirt and pulled the scroll out and handed it to him.

“Thank you for trusting me, I promise to give it back to you.” He smiled in what he hoped was a calming manner and unfurled the scroll.

Hashirama’s eyes went wide, it was a Senju beginners training scroll, who was so foolish to leave this under the bed of a nearby inn! He continued to look at the scroll, something wasn't right, he frowned oh, now he understood.

“This is a training scroll for beginners, but it was written by a beginner. Let me guess, you have tried to learn the jutsu on this scroll but it won’t work will it?” He smiled at her.

Her mouth dropped open in surprise. “How did you know?”

“It’s wrong, who ever wrote this probably meant to throw it away but forgot it instead. You won’t be able to learn off of this, sorry.” He could see that this information upset her and he felt bad, but it was the truth. He handed the scroll back to her as promised.

“Oh, but, how do I know I can trust you? You might just be saying that to get me to give you the scroll or maybe it is your clan’s scroll and you want to keep the technique secret.” She countered tucking the scroll back into her shirt.

Hashirama laughed, she was smart. “I’m not, but I will prove it to you, I will teach you how to suppress your chakra. That way you will learn something and it will help keep you safe.”

“Why would you do that for me, you don’t know me, I could be your enemy.” She didn’t know if he was the most thoughtful person she had ever met or the world’s biggest idiot.

“I can tell you won’t give up, you will try to take another scroll and next time, you might not be so lucky. Do you have any idea what a shinobi could do to you if they found you trying to steal jutsu scrolls from them, the secrets of their clans? They wouldn’t just kill you Shizuka, they would torture you, then kill you, slowly. It wouldn’t matter if you are young, or that you are a girl, they would do terrible things to you. I don’t want that to happen.”

She didn’t know that. She wasn’t from a clan, she didn’t know any shinobi, she realized then just how clueless she was.

“I didn’t know that.” She confirmed it for him.

Hashirama walked up to her so he stood in front of her, “Here, try this.” He lifted his arms up to shoulder level at his sides, with his palms down. “Try to focus all your chakra into the chest, breath in and everytime you breathing, push your chakra into your chest, into your center, then try to hold it there.” He instructed.

Shizuka lifted her arms up to her shoulders just like he had, palms down and she took a deep breath and tried to will her chakra into her chest. She closed her eyes and she could feel it moving, a little at a time, very slowly around her body. After another deep breath and letting it out she sucked in air and focused the swirls of chakra that she felt moving all over her body, into her chest. Again slowly, very slowly it started to move a little at a time, being drawn to her desired location, like a trickle.

Hashirama was watching her and could tell her chakra was moving but faintly, he could sense it fading but so slowly that they would be there for days before she could fully mask it.

He had recently been working on a new jutsu, a healing jutsu that required perfect chakra control, he found it much easier to focus his chakra to his hands to heal than to draw it to his chest to mask his chakra. So he had suggested she try that to get the hang of it, then try to draw it to her center again to mask it.

Shizuka frowned but closed her eyes and slowly drew chakra to her hands, they glowed green. “I did it! Hashi, I did it!” She grinned at him.

He grinned back at her, she had called him Hashi. He blushed. She was starting to trust him. “Good good that is great! Practice that a little more until you can do it without thinking. I am going to start cutting these logs into planks, let me know when you can do it without thinking and we will try to draw it to your chest and mask it.”

“Okay! Thanks so much for this Hashi!” She smiled a bright excited smile at him.

“Uh, it’s nothing really, I just want you to be safe.” He nervously rubbed the back of his head at her gratitude and blushed a little more.

Shizuka didn’t seem to notice because she was concentrating on moving her chakra to her hands without having to will it there. It took her two hours. She sat down after her last success to rest, it had really tired her out, more than she had expected it to. This, she thought to herself is real training. She could tell this was a simple task for Hashirama and wondered just how strong he was.

“Hashi, how strong are you?” She asked him from her sitting position on the ground.

“Oh um, I don’t know, strong enough I guess. I mean, I’m not dead yet and I have gone to war several times with my clan already.” He frowned.

“What is it like? Is it terrible?” She asked him.

“Yes, it is terrible. You see men at their lowest points, it is sickening. I hate war.” He said bitterly.

“Can’t you , I don’t know, make an agreement, compromise?” She asked him.

He shook his head, “I wish we could, I don’t like killing and I don’t want to see anymore of my family killed, I have already lost two of my younger brothers to war, but my father he...won’t stop.” He sat down beside her on the ground.

“Maybe when you get older, you can stop it, I mean you could try to talk to the clan head or something.” She said not knowing his father was the clan head and he would be the next one.

“Maybe.” He sighed looking off into the distance. Maybe when he is the Clan Head he can find a way to make peace between the Senju and the Uchiha.

“I should go, I have been gone for a long time, my mom will wonder where I am. Thanks Hashi! I will keep practicing it on my own and the next time I see you I will show you I can mask my chakra completely!” She hugged him and ran out of the cave.

Hashirama remained sitting but smiling. She had the will of fire in her, he could tell. He got up and started placing cut logs out and positioning them for the futon frames they would build the platforms around. An hour later Madara arrived.

“I feel that brat’s chakra signature, did you show her our cave Hashi?” Madara scowled at him, he already knew the answer.

“Well, you see Madara, she was by the river when I got here, she would have seen me enter so I thought it would be okay to just show her for a little bit and um, are you mad?” Hashirama played with the end of his shirt front looking at his friend.

“You’re a shinobi, you’re trying to tell me the reason you showed her our cave is because you couldn’t get into the cave without her seeing you….” Madara gave his friend a look that meant, you expect me to believe that load of crap?

“She really liked it, she said it was beautiful.” Hashirama stammered. “And, I’m teaching her how to mask her chakra.”

“You’re training her! Are you insane! She could be the enemy!” Madara was fuming, of all the stupid things his best friend could have done.

“She doesn’t have a clan Madara, how else will she learn, and it is only to keep her safe, you know as well as I do it is a miracle that no one has found her yet. I don’t know where her family moved from but you and I both know it is only a matter of time till someone senses her and goes after her. Clanless chakra users are killed, you know that! I had to!” He pleaded with his friend.

“I didn’t know for sure she was clanless.” Madara said” but I was going to find out and if she was clanless I was going to teach her myself.” He admitted. He was sick of war, he didn’t want to stumble across a dead body with pink hair on it one day in the forest.

Hashirama’s face broke out into a huge grin. “Madara! I knew you weren’t as cold hearted as you like to pretend, you were worried about her too weren’t you!” Hashirama beamed at his best friend.

“Well if she didn’t look so strange she might have lasted longer on her own, it’s her fault for being so weird looking, pink hair, I mean really?” Madara scoffed at his friends mushy words, he didn’t care about the annoying girl, he just knew she was too clueless to survive without his help, it was the least he could do.

“You like her too don’t you, admit it!” Hashirama was teasing him now.

“I do not, shut up you idiot, let’s get to work on your stupid futon platforms.” Madara picked up the bag he had brought with him and pulled out several tools to make planks with.

Shizuka hadn’t been able to get away for another two weeks but when she did she didn’t find Hashirama in their cave but Madara. She greeted him warily, she wasn't sure what kind of reception she would get from him finding her in their cave, that was meant for just him and Hashirama.

“Morning Madara.” Shizuka greeted him.

“Shizuka.” He had his arms folded over his chest and nodded to her.

He really is a stick in the mud isn’t he, she thought to herself.

“I would have expected to see you sooner since you are civilian born and don’t have the responsibilities of a clan born shinobi to attend to.” He said to her haughtily.

What is with this guy, she huffed to herself. “Do you do that on purpose?” She asked him.

“Do what?” He replied.

“Do you insult people like that on purpose or are you just a jerk in general and it comes naturally?” She barked at him, she wasn't going to let him talk down to her, civilian born or not.

“I didn’t realize what I said would insult you, are you sure it isn’t that you are too sensitive?” He asked her with a straight face.

“You...you ...you are such a ... a jerk!” She yelled at him .

Madara smirked at her, her face was flushed with anger and her eyes glittered with annoyance, she looked kinda cute when she was mad, and she wasn't backing down from him. Interesting.

“I see you finally figured out how to mask your chakra...with Hashirama’s help of course, but still, you did it...finally.” Madara cocked his head at her. What would she say back, would she get mad? He wanted to see what she would do, the little spitfire.

“That’s as close to an apology I am going to get, I suppose. Yeah, I did. I would have done it sooner but it is kinda hard when your parents market stand is getting harassed.” She complained to him.

“Harassed? Your parents have a stand in the market and they are getting harassed?” He asked her.

“Yeah, I just said that duh.” She rolled her eyes at him.

Did she just roll her eyes at me? He thought to himself and smirked.

:What are you smirking at?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Nothing.” Madara said, she was so expressive, you can tell exactly what she is thinking just by watching her face. She would never make it as a shinobi he thought.

“Have your parents told the village elder?” He asked her.

“Yes, but he won’t do anything, we are new, we just moved here, he told them everyone goes through it when they are new, hire shinobi to take care of it or just hang in there and it will blow over. We aren’t wealthy and I can only mask my chakra just now, I don’t know anything else. I started practicing throwing kunai but I had to buy it second hand and it is worthless and I could only afford one.” She pulled the pathetic piece of metal out of her waistband to show him.

It was pathetic and more dangerous for being in such poor condition. He took it from her hand and broke it in half.

“Hey! That was mine! You jerk!” She raised her fist to hit him and he caught it.

“Tsk tsk, now now, no need for that, here.” He pulls out three of his kunai and hands them to her.

“What are those for, you bragging how much nicer yours are?” She turns her head away from him pouting.

Madara smiles, she is kinda cute when she pouts, “No, you take these, I have tons of them. You need to practice with decent weapons or you won’t learn correctly. Poor weapon, poor aim.” He thrusts his hand out further for her to take them.

“Why are you doing this, don’t you hate me?” She is confused, one minute he is talking down to her the next he is offering her his own kunai...very expensive kunai now that she looks at them.

“Hashirama would be mad at me if I didn’t help you.” He won’t meet her eyes.

“So you are doing this for your friend?” She smiles at him but he refuses to look at her.

“Hn.”

“What does that mean?” She asked him.

“What does that mean?” He is getting annoyed, he is still holding his hand out with the kunai and she hasn’t taken them yet.

“That noise, you just made a weird noise, what does it mean, it isn’t an actual word.” She is laughing at him now.

“It means yes! Geeze, just take them!” He thrusts his hand out with the kunai at her again and she takes them.

“Thank you Madara.” She steps forward toward him and he steps back.

“What are you doing?” He asks her suspiciously.

“I was going to hug you, it’s what friends do when they get a gift from another friend.” She looks at him like he’s crazy.

“We’re friends?” He looks like he is trying to do hard math in his head and can’t get the right answer.

“Yeah, idiot, we’re friends, come here.” She hugs him once and steps back. “Not so bad right?” She smiles at him and then looks down to inspect the weapons he just gave her.

Madara stands still for a moment. She had hugged him. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been hugged, much less by a girl, his mother, that was the last female to hug him. It felt...nice. He blushed. He wondered if he brought her a pouch for her kunai if she would hug him again.

“Shizuka! Madara! Hey guys! I’m so glad you’re both here!’ Hashirama comes up to them running and skids to a stop in front of them.

“Hi Hashi.” Shizuka smiles and hugs him

She calls him Hashi now? Does she hugged him often? Madara isn’t sure how he feels about that.

“Hey Hashirama.” Madara greets his friend.

“What are you guys doing, oh hey Shizuka! Your chakra! You can mask it now! Good job, I knew you could do it!” Hashirama picks her up and swings her around then hugs her to him while she laughs.

“Put her down idiot, you look like a fool and she isn’t a little kid you know she’s our age after all.” Madara scowls at Hashirama, he’s so loud.

“Actually I’m younger, Hashi told me you are 14, I’m 13.” She smiles at them.

“Close enough.” Madara grumbles.

“Hey Shizuka, where did you get those? They are nice.” Hashirama points to the kunai in her hand.

“Madara gave them to me right before you got here, wasn't that nice of him?’ She smiled at Madara who looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die because Hashirama’s face lit up like a damn fireworks.

“You did Madara? You gave your own kunai to Shizuka? Wow, that’s so unlike you! I’m so proud of you! Sharing with your friends!” Hashirama tried to hug Madara but Madara stuck his hand up and gripped his face so he couldn’t get any closer to him.

“I only did it because you were teaching her how to mask her chakra, I couldn’t let you out do me could I? Besides, she doesn’t know how to use them yet, we need to teach her.” Madara says pointedly.

“Oh , yeah good point.” Hashirama is still smiling.

“I need to go now but I would really like it if you could show me how to throw these with accuracy next time we see one another or both of you maybe?” She smiles at Hashirama and Madara. “Thank you for teaching me how to mask my chakra Hashi and thanks Mada for the Kunai!” She hugs them both then runs out of the cave waving goodbye.

The boys stand side by side and watch her leave, long pink hair flying over her shoulders.

“I really am surprised Madara, that was really thoughtful of you to give her those.” Hashirama was being serious for once.

“She can’t afford to buy any for herself, you should have seen the piece of trash she bought, who ever sold it to her is a thief.” Madara picked up the pieces of the kunai he broke and gave them to Hashirama.

“This is dangerous, she actually paid for this?” Hashirama was frowning at the rusted pieces of metal that was once Shizuka’s kunai.

“Yeah, I didn’t ask her how much she paid for it, like I said her family doesn’t have a lot of money, she would have been embarrassed.” Madara told his friend.

“Wow, Madara, you are so insightful today, I really like this side of you!” Hashirama went to hug his friend again but Madara pulled back again.

“What are you saying, I’m usually a moron, that’s you, my friend, not me.” Madara is smiling though, he isn’t mad.

Hashirama pretends to be hurt and whines “After all we have been through together!’ He is so dramatic.

“That’s not all though, she told me her family are merchants in the next village, that their stand is being harassed by gang like thieves. I don’t know if they are stealing money or merchandise or just being assholes but maybe we should look into it? For Shizuka?” Madara looks at his friend seriously.

“Tonight?” Hashirama asks him, also serious.

“I can’t tonight, tomorrow during the day, we keep watch and find out more then go from there?” Madara suggests.

“I don’t think we should let her see us, don’t you?’ Hashirama suggests.

“No one can see us, no one can know it is us.” Madara reminds him.

“Right. Tomorrow, meet here and then we will go check her stand out.” Hashirama smiles at his friend. “So unlike you Madara going out of your way to help a civilian born.”

“Shut up, let's finish cutting the boards for the futon platform.” Madara walks toward the tree they have half cut into planks. “They are going to need to dry after they are cut to be ready for building.” He walks to the logs thinking of Shizuka, she had called him Mada. He smiled to himself.

“I’m coming!” Hashirama runs over to help his friend who already has an axe in his hands.

Tomorrow morning a little after sunrise Madara makes his way into their cave to wait for Hashirama to show up so they can recon Shizuka’s family stand in the market. While he waits he finished carving small targets out of wood that he had started last night for Shizuka to practice with. He made two last night but thinks it would be best to have a total of 7, after she can hit them with accuracy he will number them for the next step in training, where you call a number out and only aim for that specific target. It is how you are trained for assisination, well, in the beginning at least.

Madara gets one target finished before Hashirama shows up chewing on a dried peice of meat in one hand and a bamboo tea holder in the other.

“I was running late.” Hashirama explained. :Are those for Shizuka?” He gestures to the targets at Madara’s feet.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you going to number them?” Hashirama says.

“She has to learn to hit them first but yes I will.” Madara rolls his eyes at his friend. “Are you almost done eating we need to go, I want to get there when they open so we are there when they get harassed.”

“Yes yes I’m done.” Hashirama shoves the rest of the meat in his mouth chewing noisily, then slurps down his tea, even more disgustingly noisy.

“You are a pig, you know that right?” Madara makes a face at his friend’s eating habits.

“Eh?” Hashirama makes an inquisitive noise.

“Nothing, let’s go.” Madara stacks the targets up and sets them aside.

They leave the cave and jump to the trees masking their chakra as they jump over the river heading toward Shizuka’s village to the East.

They arrive just as the market is opening, different stalls lining the main road, their canopies being propped up and their wares being placed out in jugs, boxes, and tubs. Madara scans the stalls looking for Shizuka who told him she often opens the stand for her parents then goes to train and comes back at midday.

“There she is.” Hashirama tugs on his sleeve gently and says to him quietly.

They watch as Shizuka sets out silk scarves on racks, beaded jewelry in cases and finely embroidered silk shawls wrapped in raw silk on ascending racks. Madara is surprised her family sells such high cost and beautiful things, he is ashamed to admit it but her thought they were perhaps grocers or had a food stand. From the slight hum and nod Hashirama was making, he was surprised but intrigued as well. This certainly explained the harassment though. A stand with higher priced goods was a target.

A short blonde woman little taller than Shizuka came out from the back of the stand with a basket of smaller scarves and ties, setting them on the corner shelf of their stand she called to her husband. A man with dark red hair came out of the back carrying a rack with long flowing kimono wraps, finely embroidered with cranes and blossoms, each a different color, and set them in front to the right of the stand.

Hashirama could see where Shizuka got her pink hair from, the man certainly looked like he could be an Uzumaki with that hair. Not everyone with red hair was an Uzumaki, of course but most were.

Madara and Hashirama move to the roof of the next building so they will be able to hear anything that is said at Shizuka’s parent’s stand and settle in to wait.

Shizuka’s parents leave to get more stock from their home. Madara notices they only go a few buildings away down a small street, he turns to look at Hashirama who nods and takes off over the roofs to follow them. Madara turns his attention back to Shizuka who is now alone at the stand. He watches her fold and organize scarves, her hair falling in her eyes as she leans over the material. She is constantly pushing it out of her way and back behind her ear. He wonders why she doesn’t use one of the scarves to tie her hair back. One of those embroidered scarves would look beautiful in her hair, one of the dark blues ones with the silver embroidery he thinks to himself.

Hashirama follows Shizuka’s parents to their home, like he thought it is not far from their stand, only one street away down a small dirty road. He watches from a nearby roof as her parents go into their home and come out soon after each with a large basket of more scarves he assumes. He watches them go and then hops down from the roof headed for her house. He slips in through a back window and looks around. “This is where she lives?” He mutters to himself. 

The place is terrible, it is so dirty and small. He frowns at the megar food stores, the one room that her family clearly shares. Hashirama goes into the room and surveys the pegs on the wall, he sees two sets of adult women’s clothing, two sets of men’s clothing and one set that is smaller , and can only be Shizuka’s. She only has two sets of clothing? He frowns and leaves through the window he entered by, hopping along the rooftops back to Madara.

Madara only has to look at his best friend’s face as he falls into place on the roof next to him. Hashirama motions “later” to his friend and looks down at Shizuka and her family’s stand. After about 2 more hours three men walk up to the stand, they clearly aren’t there to buy anything. Madara and Hashirama lean forward to listen.

“How is business this week Haruno? Got anything new for us?” Dirty man number one asks Shizuka’s dad.

Haruno, Hashirama stores Shizuka’s last name away in his head.

Her dad replies, “Nothing new this week, sorry, same as last week, perhaps you would like to come by next week.” He is polite but firm.

“That’s not how it works, you should know that by now, if you don’t have anything new for us, give us what you owe us in cash, come on.” Dirty man number one demands.

“We don’t have any cash for you, much less ourselves, we can barely eat as it is! Leave!” Her dad tells them forcefully.

“Looks like the rabbit grew some teeth, dangerous thing for a rabbit in the face of a wolf.” Dirty man number two says threateningly.

“Leave our stand alone you bastard!” Shizuka yells at them clenching her fists. “You worthless no good filthy son of a bitch!” She is screaming now.

Madara and Hashirama look at one another stunned, what the hell does she think she’s doing? This isn’t going to end well.

“Oh and look what we have here, you’re a pretty little thing aren’t you, how old are you sweety?” Dirty man number three is looking at Shizuka in a way that makes Madara’s blood boil.

“She is too young, she is a child, Shizuka, go in the back.” Her dad tells her but she refuses to move.

“Looks old enough to me.” Dirty man number one says and tries to grab her, but her mom steps in front of him, blocking his way.

Hashirama looks around, people have stopped, they are staring but no one is stepping in, no one is trying to help them, why? Is it because they are new to the village, is it because the whole village is just scared and doesn’t want to be the next target? Why hasn’t his family heard of these thugs? It makes him sick, and more so, because Shizuka is his friend.

“Madara, what are we going to do?” Hashirama whispers to his friend.

“I don’t know. We can’t just jump down there and attack them, too many witnesses.” Madara whispers back.

“I’m not going to let them take her.” Hashirama’s voice is getting louder.

“Calm down, neither will I but we can’t go in there all pissed and make things worse.” Madara doesn’t like waiting either, but to jump in without thinking is stupid.

“Get out of the way woman, we don’t want you, we want your sweet little daughter.” Dirty man number two says.

“Like hell! You’re not going to touch her!” Shizuka’s dad tries to hit the man but his friend rushes him and knocks him over along with a basket of scarves. The scarves go flying everywhere and the wind whips them around blinding them.

That’s all they needed. Hashirama and Madara jump down kicking another basket of scarves into the air, Madara throws two kunai and hits Dirty man number one in the throat, Hashirama jumps on Dirty man number three pulling him back and flipping him to the ground breaking his neck. Shizuka has jumped on Dirty man number two and is biting him in the neck as he hit her in the face and shoulders. Madara grabs her and flings her to the back of the stall while Hashirama cuts Dirty man number two’s throat.

Madra and Hashirama jump back to the shadows of the roof they were keeping watch from out of sight.

Shizuka crawls out from under the wayward scarves and the broken wood of the stand looking to where they are hidden, squinting. Both boys hold their breath.

“Shizuka!.” Her dad cries, “My baby, are you alright, baby, I’m so sorry.” He cries as he holds her to his chest.

Her lip is split, her left eye is swollen shut and she can’t move her right arm because her shoulder is so bruised it hurts too much to try.

“Shizuka.” Her mom drops at her side and hugs her with her dad.

The other villagers just stand there and watch, no one offers them help, no one says a word. The dead thieves lay motionless on the ground.

“What, who did this?” Shizuka’s dad hands her over to his wife and stands up.

“Who helped us?” He calls out , looking around the market.

An old woman from a stand over, calls out. “Shinobi, that is the work of Shinobi.”

Shizuka stand up, shaking off her mother’s arms and looks to the roof tops again, scanning, stopping three times to stare hard at where Madara and Hashirama are hiding.

“Thank you.” She mouths and turns back to help her mother clean up their ruined stand.

“Let’s go.” Madara says to Hashirama.

They head back to their cave in cave, both hoping Shizuka will come see them later, surely she knows it was them.

It was a little after 11pm when she finally came. They had both waited for her.

Her face was bruised and swollen, her left eye was swollen shut and puffy, it looked grotesque. Her lip was split and swollen, she had a cut on her right cheek , caked with dried blood. Those were the injuries they could see, they hadn’t seen her back yet.

“Shizuka.” Hashirama whispered when he saw her and burst into tears.

“Is it that bad?”she said painfully through her split lip and swollen cheeks.

“Hashirama stop blubbering and heal her.” Madara could barely control his rage at the sight of her bruised and beaten body.

“Of course I will!” Hashirama took her by her hand, it had never seemed so small as it did now. He set her down on a small bench they had made while they waited for her and his hands glowed green as he ran them slowly over her face, starting with her eye.

She sighed as soothing healing chakra flooded her face easing the pain. She hated to admit it but it hurt so much, but it hurt more when she cried. She was weak, so weak. If she had been stronger this never would have happened. She needed to be stronger, she wanted to be stronger. Her fists clenched in her lap as Hashirama healed her.

Madara watched her as she seethed and raged inside her head. He understood, he was raging. He would help her. He would train her, she would become stronger so this never happened again. He would protect her, he knew Hashirama would too but they couldn’t be there for her all the time. He went to pick up the targets he had started the night before. He chose a piece of wood out of the several he had brought with him and started to carve the next target.

She was watching him. 

“We will start your kunai practice as soon as you are ready, I will make more time and be here for you as much as I can. I will train you, I will help you to become stronger so this never happens again.” She nodded once to him and he smiled, a real smile at her.

Tears slipped down her face as Hashirama continued to heal her

“I will help train you as well, I promise Shizuka. I don’t ever want to see you like this again.” Tears slipped down Hashirama’s face as he pressed more green chakra into his hands.

It took him a long time but in the end most of her injuries were healed. There was still slight bruising on her left eye but it was a lot better than before, at least she could open and close it. 

They had gasped as she turned her back to them and lifted her shirt. As familiar to war as they were both boys were sick at the sight of her tiny fragile back bruised black and blue, swollen to the point of splitting and bleeding in one spot. Hashirama continued to cry and he healed her and Madara had to leave the cave and take a short walk before he spit fire balls everywhere in his rage.

He came back to find Hashirama holding Shizuka in his arms whispering things to her that he couldn’t hear. Madara walked over to them and started a fire in the pit with the wood that Hashirama had gathered weeks ago. She slid from Hashirama’s arms and sat beside Madara, in between her boys. They sat there the three of them by the fire in silence for a long time. It’s funny how tragedy brings people closer together.

“Thank you, I know it was you, both of you. They were going to kill me.” She said quietly.

“No, they were going to do much worse to you.” Madara growled.

“We would never let that happen to you.” Hashirama said.

“Thank you for being my friends.” and she started crying silently again.

This time Madara gathered her up in his arms and held her, whispering things for her to hear as they sat by the fire.

They had fallen asleep but woke before dawn.

“I have to go home, my parents will worry if I’m not there when they get up.” She rose to leave.

“I will come back, I have to go but, can you see that she gets home ok Madara?” Hashirama asked him.

“I had planned on it, I will see her home. I too will try to come back later.” Madara nodded to his friend as he left their cave. “Come, let’s get you home.” He took her by the hand and they left the cave and jumped to the trees to run back to her house.

As they ran over the rooftops toward her home they saw a small stream of smoke in the predawn light. “No.” He heard her say as she raced off even faster toward her house.

“Shit.” He said through his teeth as he raced after her.

Her house was on fire and her parents were not among the people standing around her burning home. Not one person tried to help put out the fire. She dropped down from a roof a few houses away to run to her home.

“Mom, dad!” She screamed for her parents, but there was no answer.

“Mom! Dad! Please, where are you?” She continued to scream, still no answer.

“This is what happens when you fight back, cut down in there own home and set to burn.” A man said behind her.

She turned on her heel, “Who the hell said that! Which one of your low life cowards said that!” She screamed at everyone standing around doing nothing while her home went up in smoke. 

No one answered.

Madara threw a flash bomb into the street and hopped down off the roof to scoop her up when it went off, he was back on the roof and running to their cave before anyone noticed. She gripped the front of his shirt crying harder than before and shaking with rage. “Madara, my parents, my house, everything is gone Madara, what am I going to do, I have nothing, nothing!” Her voice shook.

“You have us, Hashirama and I will not let you starve. Try as your parents did, that was no life for you. I am sorry for your loss, I truly am, I lost two of my younger brothers to the war and my mother is dead. I understand, but you are not alone. We are here for you Shizuka.” 

Hashirama had told him about the poverty ridden home, the lack of clothing and food, yes he and Hashirama would see that she was taken care of, more than she had been before this tragedy. He knew it would not make her forget, and he thought that was good, it would help push her to become stronger, now more so than before. Hate, he thought, hate makes you strong.

Madara left her in their cave after setting up a complicated genjutsu to protect her. He added the three protection seals he knew to the entrance as well as some advanced traps. If Hashirama couldn’t get past them it was his own stupid fault he thought as he ran back home to get some simples for Shizuka. Hopefuly he would be back before Hashirama anyway.

Madara touched down just outside of the gate to the Uchiha compound, flared his chakra and entered. He ran to his room in the main house and started packing a large bag with a bedroll, blankets, some books on basic jutsus and some spare clothes.

“Big brother, what are you doing?” Izuna was watching him from his door.

“Nothing Izuna, go back to bed, it is early.” Madara ignored his little brother.

“Are you going on a mission? Why are you packing your bedroll and clothes?” Izuna insisted.

“I will be training in the mountains for a few days, I have a new jutsu I want to work on and need time and space to do so.” Madara grabbed his purse with his money in it and tied it to his waist.

“I didn’t know you were working on a new jutsu, what kind of jutsu is it? Can I come with you? I promise not to be in the way.” Izuna was waking up more and getting more curious as to why his big brother had stayed out all day yesterday and all night coming home now to pack and leave again for a few days.

“I’m sorry Izuna, I need to be alone for this. I promise, we will spar and train together when I return. Tell father for me, I will only be a few days. I promise.” Madara left his room patting his little brother on the head as he passed him.

The kitchens in the main house were already busy with the morning chores and making breakfast for the main house. Madara stopped by there on his way out and asked for three rice cakes, a flask of hot miso and travel provisions of dried meat and rice bread for 5 days. He would only be gone for three but it would be enough for him and Shizuka and maybe even hashirama if he stopped by. He added the heavy sac the maid gave him to his already bulging bag and left.

He arrived at the cave as the sun rose and undid the genjutsu and seals as he passed through them. He replaced the seals knowing Hashirama could undo them but that they would help hide the cave entrance from most others. He would put up the genjutsu only if they left the cave.

Shizuka was laying on one of the wood planks that had been set out for their futon frame when he made his way into the cavern. He set down his bag and she smiled.

“What’s this Mada?” She toed the bag he had set down in front of her.

“I brought some things so we would be more comfortable.” He started taking things out from the bag and setting them around her.

“We?” She questioned.

“I am going to stay here with you for a few days to make sure you are ok, I don’t want you to be alone right now...um...if that is okay with you I mean.” He asked her, he hadn’t even thought she might want to be alone, ugh idiot, he mentaly hit himself.

“Thank you Mada, I ...really appreciate that.” She said quietly, but then tried to smile again. 

“What did you bring?”

“Here, this is some miso soup, I heard it isn’t good to eat solids right after shock so um, I got this for you, try it.” He gave her the bamboo canister of miso to sip on.

She pulled the tight lid off and sipped some of the steaming soup. “Wow Mada, this is delicious! Where did you get it, I’ve never had miso this good before.” She drank some more and the color started to come back into her cheeks.

“Our cook made it, they were making breakfast for the main house when I got there so I brought some things with me for us for a few days.” He told her.

“Your cook? Main house? You’re part of a main branch family? Wow, I’m impressed, no wonder you were such a stuck up little brat when we first met.” She teased him.

“I brought you some books on basic jutsu too for you to study. Practical practice and training are more useful in my opinion but if Hashirama or I aren’t here, you can at least read these.” He placed several scrolls at her feet ignoring her comment about how had been stuck up when they had met.

“Thank you Mada.” She said sincerely. She was really touched by his efforts. If he hadn’t been there for her tonight she didn’t know what she would have done.

He laid out his travel bed roll by the fire for her as well as a clean set of clothes, folded and set on the bedding.

“Um, I brought you some of my clothes, they might be a bit big on you but they are clean and of good quality. I had to rip off my clan crest on some and the ones I couldn’t rip off I um blacked them out, I’m sorry but I had to.” He apologized.

“I understand.” She tried to smile.

Madara set out the rice cakes and dried meats, he handed her some rice bread to eat with her miso and set the rest in a cloth by the meat. He folded the extra blanket and laid it on the bedding by the clothes he had laid out for her.

“I promise to buy more, I know this isn’t a lot but it is all I could get right now. I will go into the market in the next village over from yours and buy another bed roll, in the meantime you use this one okay?” He pointed to the bed roll in front of her in case she mistook it for the plank she was sitting on.

“Mada, this is more than enough, I’m not used to such lavish accommodations.” She set the flask of miso, now empty, on the ground and brushed the crumbs from her shirt, walked over and hugged him tight. He hesitated for only a second then his arms rose and he wrapped them around her and hugged her back.

“I told you, I promised you, I will take care of you, you don’t have to worry, I will protect you, I promise.” He bent his head and tucked his face in her neck and hair inhaling her scent, fresh water and flowers. He sighed into their hug. I promise, he thought to himself.

“Here, I’ll take this outside and rinse it off, why don’t you change while I’m gone and get into bed okay?” He hugged her one last time before letting her go.

“Okay, I’m really tired.” She yawned and finger combed her hair walking to the spare clothes he had laid out for her.

Madara took up the miso flask and walked to the front of the cave, he paused and looked back at her. She was shaking the clothes out her head cocked to the side and smiling. He smiled, she was happy with his choice of clothes, he left to rinse out the flask and to give her some privacy to change.

He bent over the bank of the river to rinse out the flask and fill it with water for drinking. He sat by the bank for a little bit looking around. If she was going to be living here, they needed to mark it off for genjutsu, clear borders she could recognise until she got better at recognising genjutsu on her own. He left the flask where it was and started to gather large rocks in his shirt, when he had his shirt full of them he started walking slowly dropping them along the border he planned on casting his genjutsu. He made it wide enough to encompass the cave entrance and a decent pathway to the river and a little beyond, should she wish to bath or do laundry. He picked the flask up when he was done and went back inside.

She was changed and reading one of the scrolls he had brought her. He stared at her, she looked good in Uchiha colors. The dark colors made her pink hair and green eyes even more fairy-like with the contrast. He set the flask by her on the bedding and sat down on the bench after pulling it closer to the fire.

Shizuka yawned and rolled the scroll up tying it and setting it aside with the others. “It looks really interesting, I can’t wait to find out what chakra nature I am.”

Ah, so she had started with the summary of jutsu and chakra nature, he was impressed. Most would want to jump right into learning how to fight without laying a foundation. She was smart.

“I will get some chakra paper and we will find out.” He smiled at her.

“Why are you doing this Mada, I am not your responsibility, we haven’t known one another long. I wouldn’t think less of you if you never talked to me again.” She was serious.

Madara frowned in confusion, why would he never talk to her again, he wouldn’t abandon a friend, especially not one that needed him so much like she did, who just lost everything she owned including her parents. It was his fault they were dead.

“It was my fault, you have nothing and your parents are dead because of me.” He confessed. That was why. Guilt.

“It isn’t your fault, they would have come anyway, if they hadn’t burned our house tonight it would have been the next night or the night after. It wasn't your fault, if anything it was mine.” She sighed.

“Yours?” He didn’t understand how she could think any of this was her fault.

“I provoked them, you heard me didn’t you, you and Hashirama were on the roof weren’t you?” She asked him

“You sensed us, yes, we were. We went to check on you, to see who was harassing your stand, we...wanted to help you. Look what happened because we interfered. I’m so sorry Shizuka.” He said

“You aren’t listening, it wasn't your fault, it was mine! I yelled at them, I provoked them , like I said, I caused this, and even before that, I knew they would keep coming till my father or I broke down and gave them a reason, that’s what they wanted, they wanted a reason to hurt us, I don’t know why, maybe because we were outsiders, because of my hair color or my dad’s, who knows, but they came to do harm from the very beginning and I just pushed them over the edge...it’s my fault.” She stared at her hands in her lap.

“You just said they came there to do harm, it would have happened anyway. At least you’re still alive, at least they didn’t take or kill you.” He was thankful for that, so thankful she had been at the cave with them when it happened. He was sorry about her house and her parents of course but if she would have died, he didn’t know what he would do. She had become very special to him in these past few weeks. He wasn't close to that many people. His little brother Izuna and Hashirama, and now Shizuka were the only ones.

“I want to become stronger.” She whispered, she didn’t want to argue with him, she understood what he was doing but it didn’t matter, she still felt it was her fault.

“You will.” Madara told her.

She nodded and drew back the covers to the bed roll and slipped inside. “Did you, um, I mean you’re tired aren’t you, do you want to share the bedroll?” She blushed.

“No, thank you, um, I will wait for Hashirama to get here then go buy another one, it’s okay, I can’t sleep right now anyway, you rest, I’ll be here if you need anything.” He smiled at her and waved at her to get going, to go to sleep.

He picked up the target he had been working on earlier and started to carve it out again, they would need it sooner than later, she would want to start training as soon as she woke up, he was sure, it is what he would want to do if he was in her position. It is what he and Izuna had done when their brothers had gotten killed.

Hashirama came at noon. Madara felt his chakra signature disappear about a mile from the cave and went to the entrance to meet him.

“Morning Madara.” Hashirama greeted him.

He is unusually sober today Madara thought.

“I heard about a fire in the village where Shizuka lives, I heard it was the home of the new merchant that sells scarves and other fine goods, tell me, is she okay, did her parents get out?” Hashirama was pleading.

“Her parents are dead, she is here. We saw the end of the fire when I saw her home last night, I brought her here and went home to get some supplies. She is sleeping right now so don’t be loud.” They walked back into the main part of the cave, the cavern.

Hashirama nodded and asked quietly, “It was because of us wasn't it, this is our fault isn’t it.”

“Yes, it is our fault.” Madara agreed looking down at a sleeping Shizuka. “I promised her we would take care of her. She told me she wasn't my responsibility, but she is she?” He looked at his friend who nodded.

“Yes, we will take care of her, not only because she is our friend but it is our fault her parents are no longer here, she is homeless then?” Hashirama looked at the bedroll and food stuff on the ground.

“Yes.” Madara confirmed. “She didn’t mention any relatives that might take her in when I suggested she stay here. I didn’t ask her about it, I didn’t wish to press her in her grief.”

“No, no of course not, she would tell us I think if she had somewhere to go. I’ll go get some more food and maybe some clothes for her? She only had one other set she will need more now that even that is gone.” Hashirama suggested.

“I brought her two spare sets of my clothes. She is wearing a set right now.” Madara pointed at Shizuka in his clothes and smiled.

“She is a girl Madara.” Hashirama frowned at his friend.

“I know that! What’s your point? She looks good in my clothes.” Madara smiled.

Hashirama raised an eyebrow at his normally less than social friend, “She weaseled her way in didn’t she, she is special isn’t she. I told you, you would like her.”

“Hn.”

“Girls will want girl clothes though, it was kind of you to give her those but she will want something pretty. I’ll go get us some more food and clothes for her.” Hashirama turned to leave but Madara stopped him giving his his purse.

“Could you get me a bedroll, I am going to stay here for a few days with her, to make sure she is okay and I didn’t want her to be alone right now, but I gave her my only bedroll, so I need one.” He said.

“I can do that, I will stay too! We will have so much fun! I’ll go home and be back .” He bounded out the cave door in a flurry of clothes and energy.

Madara shook his head but then thought, maybe he would be a good distraction for her.

Hashirama came back with several boxes from shops and a large hamper of food he had stored in a storage scroll. He tossed the bedroll he had purchased for Madara at him along with his slightly lighter purse.

“What’s in all the boxes?” Madara eyed them suspiciously.

“Clothes for Shizuka.” Hashirama gave him a puzzled look.

“But there are so many, I counted six boxes!” Madara was exasperated.

“Girls like to have more clothes than boys, it makes them feel good about themselves and gives them confidence, it will help, trust me.” Hashirama was confident.

“Are you sure, she doesn’t really seem the type to want all this.” Madara opened one of the boxes and pulled out a light kimono with cherry blossoms embroidered along the collar. “This doesn’t look like something she would wear.” He frowned and put the kimono back in the box opening another one.

This one had a dark brown and cream colored short kimono with matching capri pants in it. “Oh, this one is nice, she will look nice in this one.” Madara set the box aside from the others.

“I got her a pouch for the kunai you gave her here, and some senbon, and wraps, and chest wraps because she is a girl and a sharpening stone, and a katana.” Hashirama told him.

“A katana? Why would you get her a katana, she doesn't even know how to use one.” Madara protested.

“She can learn now that she has one right?” Hashirama said cheerfully.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” Madara conceded to his friend.

“Lets get working on the futon platforms we are going to need them now more than ever, right?” Hashirama said.

“She’s sleeping, I don’t want to wake her up.” Madara told him. “What’s in the hamper?” Madara pulled the hamper over to him and pawed through it digging out a take out container of Inarizushi, opening it and popping one in his mouth.

“These are good, where did you get them?” He asked.

“The next village over.” Hashirama said absently.

“What’s wrong?” Madara asked noticing his friend looking around the cavern.

“I was thinking we need some walls for privacy, maybe just open walls so she can have a half room or something and we can have a sitting room and kitchen. She will probably be here for quite some time, don't you think? My clan won’t adopt her and yours won’t either I assume?” Hashirama looked to his friend.

Madara shook his head and took another bite.

“Well, she has nowhere to go and this is the safest place for her really isn't it?” Hashirama asked.

“I think so.” Madara agreed, that’s why he had brought her here.

“So I was thinking we should build her a sort of structure, a roofless house because we are already in a cave but she will want to be comfortable while she is here and it will make it feel more like a home.” Hashirama told him.

“That is going to be a lot of work but I agree, she will need something to feel more like home to her, but I think we should put a roof on it for her, it will be colder soon, and even though she won’t be outside it will still get very cold in here.” Madara pointed out.

“You’re right.” Hashirama nodded.” we’re going to need a lot more wood.”

Hashirama frowned, it would take forever. He had been working on his wood release more and more lately, he was sure he could make Shizuka a very nice house if he could only use his jutsu without getting caught. It would be a dead give away to Madara what clan he was from if he used it, after all he was the only wood release user alive that he knew of.

Shizuka sat up rubbing her eyes. Where was she? Oh. Her brain told her, she was in the cave. Her parents were dead and her home burned to the ground. She looked around and saw Hashirama was here, he and Madara were over by the side of the underground forest pointing at different trees and motioning with their hands.

Slowly, she stood up and off of the bedroll, it was so comfortable, so soft and warm, btu she knew she had to get up and get moving, she needed to start training. First, she needed to wash.

Her boys had noticed her and started walking over to her. “Good morning Hashirama.” She greeted her friend.

“Good afternoon Shizuka.” He said and hugged her hard.

He knew, of course he knew, Madara must have told him she thought. She hugged him back and then gently pushed him away. She noticed the boxes now and the large hamper, bless him, Hashirama had brought things too?

“I brought you some things, some girl clothes,” he grinned at Madara.” some food and some more shinobi things like wraps and weapons.” He said.

“Weapons?” Her eyes lit up, “Where?” She looked around but didn’t see them.

“Here, “ He handed her a new pouch with senbon, wraps and a sharpening stone.

“You got these for me? These look very expensive, this is too much, I can’t accept these Hashi.” She tried to give the pouch back to him.

“He got you a katana too.” Madara told her.

“What?” She shook her head.” Hashi, thank you really but, it makes me feel weird accepting these things, it doesn’t feel right.”

“We’re friends though and I love giving gifts, you will find I give gifts to all my friends ask Madara.” He defended himself.

“He gave me a cactus for my birthday.” Madara admitted. “He got you all those boxes of clothes too. I like this one.” He picked up the box with the brown and cream two piece and handed it to her.

“Hashi, this is too much.” She opened the box and pulled out the short kimono and pants. “Wow, this is beautiful.”

“Here.” Hashirama handed her a ladies kit with shampoo, body soap, wash rag and towel in it.

“I made a pathway and sectioned off a small area of the river bank for you and put up a strong genjutsu, I marked it with rocks on the inside of the genjutsu till you are trained enough to see where the genjutsu starts and ends. Let me show you. You can wash and change and no one will be able to see you, we will stay here till you get back.” He offered.

She walked outside with him and he showed her the bigger rocks and where the path was. She thanked him and went to the river bank to wash while he and Hashirama waited for her inside.

Shizuka sat at the water's edge soaping her hands and washcloth running it over her bare skin. The water was chilly but refreshing. She had never used such sweet smelling soap before of such high quality. The washcloth was so soft and the shampoo was made with real oils from flowers. Who were her new friends? She knew they both came from well to do clans of power from the way they talk, their manners, aside from Hshirama’s eating habits, they are well spoken, trained and clearly thought nothing of spending a lot of money on her. It bothered her...greatly.

She would never see the kind of money they had spent on her in less than 24 hours, she never had. Her parents were merchants of fine goods but that was all, merchants. They did not use the goods they sold. She had never had an embroidered scarf or shawl. She certainly never had a beautiful kimono like the ones they had sold. If it was valuable, they put it in their stand. She had never starved, she had clothes, just of the poorest quality and little quantity. It had never bothered her much, she had been content.

She washed herself quickly and then splashed water over herself to rinse off all the soap after she had shampooed her hair. Opening the box Madara had chosen for her from the many Hashirama had purchased for her she took out the short kimono and pants. She had dreamed of wearing such things before but never thought she would. The pouch Hashirama had given her lay on the bank by the box and she pulled the chest wrappers out and wound her chest, then her wrists and ankles like she had seen shinobi do. She slipped on the kimono top and tied it with the matching sash in the box. Stepping into the pants and doing up the boots Hashirama had given her she twisted and turned looking herself over. After gathering her things she went back into the cave.

Her boys were arguing when she got back inside. Having set her things down she walked over to them listening in.

“She doesn’t need a whole kitchen, just a small one, enough to cook simple meals in, she isn’t cooking for a clan you know.” Madara was exasperated with hashirama, she could tell.

“I want her to have everything she needs!” Whined Hashirama. 

“She will you idiot, we have to build it though, you’re going overboard as usual. We just got done agreeing on two bedrooms, one for her, one for us when we stay here, a living room for all of us, a small kitchen and a bath. A wood burner in each room for heat in the winter, the kitchen will already have one and so will her bathroom for the tub! She doesn’t need anything else!” Madara was yelling now.

“Um, excuse me, I don’t need a bathroom, and we can all sleep in one room, we don’t need a living room, it will be warmer in the winter that way, the kitchen fire pit will give off more heat anyway.” She smiled at them. “Thank you both, for everything you did and have done. I really appreciate it, I can never repay you for your kindness. If you ever need anything, I mean, I don’t know what I could possibly give you that you don’t already have but if there is ever anything, you can count on me.” She bowed to them.

“Shizuka, we did this, do these things because you’re our friend.” Hashirama told her.

“You don’t have to repay us, just continue to be our friend.” Madara added.

“I can do that.” She smiled at her boys.

“You look beautiful Shizuka.” Madara was looking her over. She blushed.

“I picked it out, see I have good taste in women’s clothing Madara.” Hashirama boasted.

“That’s nothing to be proud of when you’re a guy you know.” Madara laughed at him.

“I love it, Hashi, thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek.

“I didn’t get a kiss.” Madara mumbled.

She kissed him on the cheek too.

They all stood there blushing until Shizuka said, “So, when are we going to start training?”

“Right now” Madara said, “Go read that scroll from start to finish about chakra control and chakra nature. I will go out later and get some chakra paper to see what affinity you are.”

“I have some right here.” Hashirama started digging in his pouch, “here.” He handed Madara two little squares of paper.

Madara handed one to Shizuka, “Okay to find out your chakra nature, just send a little bit of your chakra into the paper like this” Madara sent some chakra into the paper and the paper crinkled up, “I have a lightning nature. See? Now if you have more than one nature,” he pushed chakra into the paper again, and it crumbled away, “See I also have earth affinity.”

Madara also had fire affinity but he didn’t want Hashirama to know that. His looks already pointed to him being an Uchiha he didn’t need to confirm any suspicions his friend might have.

“Okay, let me try.” She pushed a little of her chakra into the paper, it turned wet, “Water?” she asked. 

“Yes, do it again to see if you have another.” Madara instructed.

Shizuka pushed chakra into the paper again and it split in half much to the surprise of both boys.

“What does that mean?” She asked them.

“Wind affinity.” Hashirama was looking at her oddly. “A rare affinity to have, and you are civilian born, do you by chance know if any of your relatives are related in some way to the Uzumaki clan?” He asked her.

“Um, I think my dad’s third cousin might have been a third Uzumaki, but I’m not sure I don’t remember.” She told them.

“Is that bad?” She asked because they were looking at her even more strongly than before.

“Try the paper again Shizuka.” Hashirama said.

She did and it crumbled and fell apart in her fingers, she frowned and looked up to Madara and Hashirama. They were staring at her again.

“Incredible.” Hashirama said.

“Earth, you have three chakra affinities, how is that possible Hashirama? She is not from a clan!” Madara was confused but also excited.

“She must be part Uzumaki, they have an incredibly strong life force and are exceptional sensors. She knew we were on the roof in the market when we went to spy on her stand, you and I can drop our chakra to zero, yet she stared right where we were, three times.” Hashirama was smiling now, he was over the shock of learning this civilian born girl had three chakra affinities and was now thinking of the possibilities. He looked over at his friend who had a very familiar calculating look in his eyes.

“Shizuka, I hope you’re ready, we are going to help you become an incredible shinobi.” Madara smiled at her, the gears grinding in his head, there is so much she can do, that she will do. He was happy, things that had happened wouldn’t ever happen again. He and Hashirama would see to that.


	3. Izuna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shizuka's training pays off, time passes, and she meets Madara's little brother, who still doesn't know who she is, or what she is to Madara.

Kaishi Chapter 2 

One month later…

Her eyes were closed and she breathed in deeply. 

“Go!” Madara commanded and she jumped into the air over his head running toward the targets hanging from the trees in the underground forest.

“3” Hashirama called out.

“5”

“1 and 6”

“7”

“2 and 4” He called out the last numbers.

Thunk. Thunk. 

Shizuka’s last kunai hit their targets spot on. She landed next to Hashirama at the end of her training field they had set up for her.

“Good job, not a one of them missed.” Madara complimented her.

“You even got the one behind the tree over there!” Hashirama grinned a her. The one he was referring too had been the only one she had missed the last week of her training.

She smiled at them. It had only been a month but she had been training almost non stop and she felt like her effort was paying off. She had read the scroll on chakra control several times and was working on focusing her chakra into her hands to infuse them with extra strength. There had been a few mishaps, she had infused her hand with chakra and hit a boulder only to break her hand painful when the chakra faded away, instead of helping her force her way through the boulder with her fist. It still needed work but she was determined to get it right. 

Shizuka knew from the scroll that in theory if she could infuse her hands with chakra she could eventually over time quite literally punch a hole in a mountain and possibly level it. She just needed to maintain the infused chakra long enough without thought to complete the motion.

Madara had already told her she had perfect chakra control, she just needed to find a way to stabilize it once it flooded to the area of her body she wanted it to go to. He showed her how to walk up the side of a tree using her chakra, by pushing the chakra to her feet. He told her in order to do that she had to have perfect chakra control. She just needed to maintain it for the higher level jutsus, and that is what she was working on. Follow through and maintaining the chakra fusion.

Madara went and changed the targets locations for her next run while she sat and tried to force her chakra into her hand. Her hand glowed green then fizzled out. She took a deep breath and tried again. Focusing her chakra and guiding it to her hand she envisioned it flowing like water from her reserves over her veins, down her arm to her fingertips. She made a fist and hit the ground...The whole floor shook and she fell into a new crater beside her, made by her fist.

“Wow.” Hashirama said staring at the small crater.

“I did it.” She whispered, then loudly, “I did it!”

“Do it again.” Madara had finished setting the target's up and had come over to look at the crater.

“Outside, I don’t want to destroy the cave.” She got up and dusted her pants off heading for the entrance.

They stood outside a little bit from the cave and she concentrated on the flow of chakra moving around her body, guided the flow through her arm over her hand to her fingers, she made a fist and slammed it into the ground, the ground around her dainty hand erupted in an explosion of rock and dust.

Madara and Hashirama had jumped away from her just in time and turned to see their pink haired friend standing at the bottom center of the biggest crater they had ever seen.

“Holy crap, we can’t piss her off anymore Hashi, we’ll have to behave from now on.” Madara grinned at Shizuka.

“Magnificent and scary.” Hashirama exclaimed.

“Did you see that?” She was grinning from ear to ear, “I did it!” She jumped up and down dancing where she stood.

“Good job, now more target practice, that isn’t a move you can practice here anymore, you’ll bring down the cave, not to mention changing the landscape of the forest will bring people here faster than ants on dango.” Madara warned her.

“That is amazing!” Hashirama was already at her side hugging her till she squeaked.

She just laughed and crawled out of the crater with him and they went back into the cave for more target practice.

Shizuka hit the called out targets quickly and accurately three more times before Madara called for a break. She couldn’t help but skip to them by the fire that night with sheer glee. She was so proud of herself. Madara handed her a bowl of rabbit stew that Hashirama had made, taking his own bowl and sitting down on the second bench by the fire.

In the last month, while she practiced her aim and read the scrolls Madara had brought her , her boys had been hard at work making three more benches, a food pantry and kitchen. Right now they were working on the living room/bedroom. She would never complain but she hoped it would be up soon, the nights were getting so cold she almost set her bedding on fire one night because she had rolled over in her sleep trying to get warmer.

Hashirama had arrived that morning with Madara and they immediately started planning out the dimensions of the room and cutting planks from the trees they had cut down previously in preparation. They had the layout lined with planks and were planning to get at least three walls up by the end of the week. The futon platforms had been made and were stuffed with three oversized futons that touched on the sides to look much like one big long wide bed. While they each slept on their own futon, there weren’t any spaces or borders in between the futons much to Madara’s annoyance when he woke with Hashirama draped over him like a blanket one day.

The three walls were going to go around the futons grouping and lead into the kitchen walls, separated by a small hallway. It was very simple and was coming along nicely. She was proud of her boys.

Shizuka was drawn back from her thoughts by Hashirama sitting down on her bench beside her with his own bowl of stew, spooning it into his mouth as if it wasn't boiling hot and burning the skin off the roof of his mouth with every bite. How he did that she would never know. She had to eat hers slowly so it could cool. Madara was like Hashirama, he could eat things at an impossibly hot temperature, it amazed her.

“I will be gone for a few days but when I come back I think we should work on your Earth jutsu.” Madara said in between bites.

“Okay, I wanted to work on my Water jutsu too. Would it be best if I concentrate on them one at a time? If I work on learning a jutsu to mastery and then move onto another?” She asked them.

“I think that is a good idea, that way you aren’t over stretching yourself. Focus on one thing at a time.” Hahsirama said.

“I agree. We will work on your Earth style wall first, then you can work on a Water technique after.” Madara said.

She nodded, yes that made sense, she didn’t want to spread herself too thin and accomplish nothing and wear herself out in the process.

“Where are you going for three days Mada?” She asked him. She had grown used to them showing up at odd times or not showing for a few days here and there unexpectedly over the last month.

“Clan stuff.” He said finishing his bowl and setting it in the dirty dish basket by the door of the cave.

“I will be gone as well, for my clan meetings, but I will come back as soon as I can.” Hashirama promised. He set his bowl in the basket on top of Madara’s and then went to his bag her left by his futon. He had spent the night with her in their cave last night.

“I forgot, I brought you these scrolls on water release jutsu Shizuka, some of them are very advanced but I thought you could read them and there are two scrolls on medical jutsu in there as well.” Hashirama hands her a small stack of scrolls.

“Thank you Hashi!” She takes the scrolls from him with an excited face. She can’t wait to read them. “I will have plenty of time to read them in the next few days while you two are handling clan affairs.”

“Just promise to be careful Shizuka, stay in the barrier and don’t use your new found monstrous strength until we get back.” Madara teased her.

“Yes, please be safe while we are gone.” Hashirama smiled kindly at her.

“I will.” She promised. They left soon after, both hugging her and telling her they would be back soon. 

After they had gone she turned and looked around the cavern. She was still struck every once in a while by the surrounding beauty. She looked over at the basket of dirty dishes, later she thought. Now that her boys were gone she wanted to take a bath. Walking over to the clothes hamper Hashirama had brought her two weeks ago she pulled out a black kimono and red sash, some tabbed wooden sandals with black toes dividers and two black and red hair ornaments. She admired the hair ornaments in her hand before she placed them on top of the pile of clothes. The boys were so good to her. Madara had gifted her the outfit last week and said he couldn’t wait to see her in it. She would wear it again for him when he got back from wherever it was he was going.

As she made her preparations she hadn’t noticed the masked chakra signature at the entrance to the cave. She was tired from training all day with her boys and admittedly low on her own chakra. Her chakra reserves were growing with training but they were nowhere near as large as her friends. She wore out easily and they would have to take little breaks throughout the day, but that didn’t deter her one bit, she was determined to get stronger.

Stepping up to the free falling waterfall pool she untied her training kimono and let it slide off her shoulders and down her back to puddle in a heap at her feet. She tugged the loose end of her chest wraps and let them unwind and fall to the floor with her kimono as she stepped out of her pants. She took the time to unwrap her wrists and ankles instead of cutting them, setting them on top of her pile of training clothes. She would wash them in the river tomorrow with the dishes.

Wide eyes watched her from the entrance of her cave a deep flush of red rushing to the boy’s cheeks as he watched the beautiful fairy disrobe for her bath. Izuna gripped the cave wall with his hands and leaned forward toward the woman before his eyes, he couldn’t look away even if he had wanted to, and he didn’t.

He watched as she lowered herself into the water, he bit his lip as she reached up and drew the pin from her hair. Long pink tresses cascaded down her back and floated in the water around her. Her back was to him now but he had seen her undress herself, could she not sense him? He wondered as he continued to watch her.

Shizuka sighed as the warm water surrounded her cool body. Winter had come in like a lion which had caused her to draw water from the pool under the waterfall instead of going outside to the river. To her very delighted surprise the water was warm, not hot but warm enough to be pleasing. Madara said that it must run into a hot spring somewhere in it's travels to their cave to be warm. She didn’t care how it happened, she loved it. It was her favorite spot in the cavern, in the world.

She brought water up to her face and scrubbed. Her muscles relaxed under the warmth and she rested her head back against the floor of the cave. Madara and Hashirama had made her an extra tall bench to set into the pool so she could sit and have the floor of the cavern as a head rest, it was perfect. A sigh escaped her as she thought of how lucky she was to have those two. A yawn surprised her and she knew she had to get out soon, she was so tired. She didn’t want to fall asleep in the pool alone and drown.

Slowly and carefully, so she didn’t slip, she climbed out of the pool and reached for her waiting towel. She wrapped it around herself and shook out the clothes she would put on. Toweling her body off she wrapped her hair up in it so it wouldn’t drip and slipped on the black kimono and tied it with the red sash.

Izuna had sucked in a quick breath when the fairy had gotten out of the water and wrapped herself in a fluffy towel. Was she a water fairy? He thought to himself. He watched as she wrapped herself in a black kimono of good quality and a red sash of fine silk. Are fairies wealthy? He didn’t know but he knew that the clothes she wore were expensive. She unwrapped her hair from the towel and combed it out, braided it into a thin braid down her back and pinned it with two sticks wrapped around the crown of her head...she looked like a queen. Izuna swallowed, what would she do if she found out he had watched her bathe? He took one last look at her then backed out the entrance of the cave and back into the forest by the river.

Izuna had been looking for his brother earlier and thought he had sensed his chakra by the river. He had gone to the river but it had been farther downstream and he had found nothing. He had then gone to the village thinking Madara might be visiting a friend there but he was nowhere to be seen. He was about to go home when he sensed his brother’s chakra again briefly, then it had faded again.

He hadn’t seen his brother leave the cave but he sensed his chakra around the forest near it. Izuna saw the genjutsu, had activated his sharingan and broke the seals. He saw the cave then, and entered to find a beautiful water fairy getting ready to take a bath. Had his brother been watching her too? Did he know her? Izuna had so many questions, he had to find out, but how? His brother had become very secretive lately, Madara was always secretive but not so much with him. About two months ago, that had changed. Ever since that one night his brother stayed out all night coming home at dawn to pack a bag to train in the woods alone for three days...it was weird and Izuna was determined to find out why. Was she the secret? This pink haired water fairy...if she was, Izuna admitted, he didn’t blame his brother one bit.

Sakura set a pot of water over the fire to boil for tea. She wanted to take a look at the scrolls Hashi had brought her. She knew she should go to bed soon and she would but she just wanted a quick peak.

Madara ran to his room once he got home and grabbed a few of the scrolls he had set aside for Shizuka on Earth style jutsu. Hashirama had given her some water style scrolls tonight and he wasn't going to be shown up by that bowl cut haired smiling dolt. Madara ran out his window and back toward the cave. He would just drop them off to her and say goodnight.

Izuna was nearing the compound when he saw his brother jumping through the trees heading toward the forest he had just left. What is he doing? Izuna masked his chakra further and followed his brother.

Shizuka poured herself a cup of tea and sat on her futon opening the first water jutsu scroll when she heard someone coming.

Madara was muttering to himself, why was the genjutsu broken and the seals had been reset. Shizuka didn’t know how to use sealing jutsu yet, it wasn't her. Had Hashirama come back too? That would explain the lack of the genjutsu.   
Shizuka set the scroll down and used her chakra to climb up the nearest tree. She knew she couldn’t take on a full fledged shinobi but maybe it would buy her time to run out the entrance before they could kill her.

Izuna watched Madara remove the seals he had put back in place after he had left and enter the cave, he didn’t want to risk detection so he stood there waiting for his brother to return. Izuna wasn't better than Madara at many things but masking his chakra was one of them.

Madara neared the cavern opening and flared his chakra so she would know it was him and walked in. She smiled at him. He walked to her quickly and hugged her. 

Madara asked Shizuka who else had been there after he had left and she said no one had. 

“I just came back to give you these Earth scrolls and to say good night.” He handed her the bag with the scrolls in it .

“I’ll see you in three days, you look beautiful by the way, I knew that would look nice on you.” He whispered in her ear as he drew away from their hug.

“Thank you Madara. I hope to see you soon, be safe.” Shizuka leaned forward and kissed Madara on the cheek.

Madara coughed. Shizuka waved goodbye as he rounded the corner to the main part of the cave corridor. 

Izuna saw his brother come out of the cave and stand in the entrance casting a complicated genjutsu over the area and wondered why he would do that, what was he hiding in the cave? Izuna didn’t have time to wonder then though as Madara quickly took to the trees and ran for home, Izuna followed at a good distance.

_____________________

Tobirama made his way down the hall to his older brother’s room. It was time for him to get some answers. He wanted to know where his brother was constantly sneaking off to. He had noticed his brother had started acting odd, he had hoped Hashirama would come to him and tell him what was going on. Tobirama decided he had been more than patient and wanted to know where his brother had been going.

About an hour ago Tobirama had felt his older brother’s chakra signature return home, he had been gone all day and all night He all but stomped up to his brother’s bedroom door and banged on it.

“Yes Tobi?” Hashirama asked him biting his lip in worry. He knew Tobirama had been curious as to where it was he had been spending his time, he knew he had noticed him leaving more and sending more nights away. It was only a matter of time before his combative brother cornered and questioned him.

“Where were you , and why didn’t you come home last night?” Tobirama demanded of his brother.

“Um, come in and we can talk.” Hashirama motioned him to come into his room. Tobi rama stepped inside and he shut the door.

“Well?” Tobirama crossed his arms over his chest and raised his left eyebrow at his brother.

“I met a new friend and I have been training with them.” Hashirama told his brother truthfully.

“What clan are they from?” Tobirama asked right away.

“I don’t know, we purposely didn’t ask one another, it doesn’t matter to us what clan we are from, they don’t know what clan I am from. We are just friends, we talk and have fun with one another. It’s nice.” Hashirama stammered, how could he possibly explain this to his brother who was suspicious of everyone he met.

“How do you know they aren’t a spy or an assassin pretending to be your friend so they can kill you?” Tobirama asked Hashirama.

“They aren’t, I just know, they are a good person. Look, I’m happy Tobi, just let it go, please, I have been meeting them for years now and I have always come back, if they were an assassin they have had plenty of time to kill me.” Hashirama argued.

Tobirama glared at his brother even though he had a good point. Hashirama was just too trusting for his own good. Tobirama frowned, they had lost two brothers to war already, he didn’t want to lose another. 

“Fine!” Tobirama hissed and stomped out of Hashirama’s room.

Hashirama watched his brother storm back to his room, he had a bad feeling about this.

__________________

Shizuka stayed in the cave like she had promised she would, practicing her aim with the targets Madara had made her, practicing her chakra into her hands for healing purposes and re-reading the water and earth jutsu scrolls. 

After the first day alone she laid down on her futon to sleep thinking she would like to give the Earth Style jutsu a try. In one of the Earth style jutsu scrolls Madara had given her she had read about the stone Wall jutsu. It seemed simple enough and very useful. It was exactly what it sounded like, a wall made out of stone and the hand signs seemed simple, Left Hand = Tora / Right Hand = Sideways Ee holding left hand. The more Shizuka thought of it the more excited she got.

She woke on the second day ready to try the stone Wall Jutsu. Stretching after a light breakfast of rice and fried egg she was ready. She re-read the scroll one more time just to make sure she remembered the hand signs correctly.

Shizuka took a deep breath focusing her chakra to her hands and mouth, drawing the energy of the Earth through her feet with her chakra and compressing it in her mouth, “Tora, Ee!”

A small bit of cracked stone rose in front of her and slammed back down. She grinned, it was working! Okay again she thought. Maybe focus more chakra to her feet to draw the energy from the Earth and then balance the flow through her body. Deep breath and, “Tora, Ee!”

A huge wall of stone erupted from the Earth in front of her creating a wall, but instead of it standing after it rose, it too fell back down into the Earth. She frowned. How to get it to remain in place after she summoned it up from the Earth, maybe if she cut off her flow of chakra but compressed it right after the cut off to stop the wall from sliding back down?

“Tora, Ee!” The wall of stone rose from the depths of the Earth, hovered and, cutting off the ends of the chakra flow, compressing it and bam, the wall remained standing in front of her! “Aww man!” It crumbled. She stomped her foot in aggravation.

“I’ll just need to keep at it.” She smiled to herself, she would master this is the next two days and show Madara and Hashirama when they came back!

The rest of her day was spent practicing, by the end of the day she could maintain the wall for 6 hours. It was progress but from what she had read in the scroll it was supposed to stay there until it was knocked down or pushed back into the earth by a reverse jutsu. She yawned, her chakra was low and she needed to rest. A smile graced her face as she sat by her fire stirring her soup for dinner. “A good night's rest and I will try again tomorrow!” She could do this.

Tomorrow came and she popped out of her futon with excitement, she was going to master it today she decided. Standing by the edge of the underground forest she concentrated her chakra into her feet, this time she cut and sealed the compressed chakra immediately after the summons before the wall even stopped. Progress.

While she ate her lunch she went over all the things she had tried so far, which ones worked better than others and she came to the conclusion, she needed another hand sign. Hum...After tiger and sideways boar, she would add an upright boar, to help secure it in place...worth a shot.

A deep breath, “Tora Ee, Ee straight up!” A wall shot out of the ground faster than any of the others before it and stood standing solid in front of her. She smiled as she touched the wall. Her other walls had, had small cracks in it, this one was smooth, the other walls had been lopsided, this one was perfectly straight. Now, to see how long it stood before crumbling back down to the Earth. She grabbed a few of the scrolls from her boys and hopped into a tree to read while she monitored her new wall.

By dinner time she re-read all of her scrolls again, caught two fish, gathered more firewood, taken a bath in the free falling pool and drawn out a floor plan for their house, SHE, was going to make with her newly mastered jutsu. She smiled, her boys were going to be so surprised!

She had fallen asleep still smiling , looking at her wall that was still up, dreaming about super strength from infusing her chakra into different parts of her body. Tomorrow, she would try to out her super strength abilities from infused chakra.

Shizuka smiled and stretched her arms out in front of her cracking her knuckles. Time to work on her perfect chakra control. Walking outside as promised she stood beside a large rock and pursed her lips. She closed her eyes and focused her chakra into her right hand making a fist. Opening her eyes she shot her fist out and hit the rock controlling the chakra infused into her hand maintaining the balance of control. She lifted the boulder up over her head. “Woohoo!”

She spent the remaining of the day focusing her hakra into different parts of her body and maintaining the control and levels of chakra in each body part. She had destroyed 5 boulders and ripped out two trees. She couldn’t do much more because she had promised to stay within the genjutsu Madara had put up for her protection but she was still satisfied with her progress. She couldn’t wait to show her boys.That night she slept well, she was proud of her accomplishments and her boys would be back tomorrow or the next day.

_____________

It was just after dawn on the fourth day when Madara had returned home and collapsed on his bed. He would take a nap and then go check on Shizuka. He had missed her and Hashirama. The war was getting more and more strained as the hostility between the clans grew. No clans clashed more than the Senju and Uchiha, and they had been the focal point of the last scouting mission he had gone on with his father and brother. Fortunately they hadn’t run into any of the Senju but they did see signs of a large number of Senju gathering in the woods to the north on lands known to be protected by the Senju clan. There would be a war council meeting that night he would have to attend but he wanted to see Shizuka first.

Hashirama made his way to the cave. He had hoped Madara had been there to lower his genjutsu but knew he could release it if he had to...it was just more work for him to do it than Madara. As he approached he took in the forest and the river, everything looked the same, he hoped Shizuka was well and was really looking forward to seeing her. It had been a long three days of council meetings and talk of war. The Uchiha had been more aggressive lately attacking smaller parties of Senju traveling to and from nearby Senju protected lands forcing them to group together in villages to the North by the main compound. Some of the elders wanted to strike back in full force, to gather the whole clan and finish the war for good but others advocated for peace and compromise, saying too many would be lost in all out war with the uchiha who were just as strong as the Senju. The same arguments went back and forth, the same voices talking over one another. It gave him a headache.

Hashirama stood just outside of the genjutsu frowning...he had gotten rather good at dispelling genjutsu, he had to or he would be dead. He was better at releasing it than he let Madara know but he still wasn't as good as say a sharingan user and he was pretty sure Madara was an Uchiha by now. Hashirama focused on the invisible protection genjutsu, his chakra surged, “Release.” and it broke. He walked over the stones marking the genjutsu buried and put up a few extra seals of protection and headed to the mouth of the cave almost skipping.

“Shizuka!” He called out to her as he entered looking around.

“Hashi! You’re back!” She jumped down from her tree that she had been reading in to greet him with a hug. “How are you? I missed you.”

“I missed you too! I’m good, tired but glad to see you, is that a stone wall? Did you summon a stone wall?” He gaped at the wall.

“Sure did!” She jumped in the air once and clapped her hands pleased with his smile and astonishment.

“Amazing! And no cracks!” He was so proud of her.

“It took me almost three days!” She smiled.

“Show me.” He grinned at her.

“Okay!” She stepped over to the wall she had summoned previously and focused her chakra and bam! A stone wall the same size rose from the ground perpendicular to the other.

“Congratulations! You’re a genius!” Hashirama was dancing where he stood laughing.

“It takes a lot of chakra out of me, I can only do two or three then I have to rest for the rest of the day, is that normal?” She asked.

“The more you train the less chakra it will take, it will be more fluid and your strength will grow with your chakra reserves. So keep training and you will tire less. That is amazing, has Madara seen it yet?” Hashirama asked her.

“I haven’t seen him yet, he might not be back, I am so excited to show him!” She smiled fondly at the two walls. She would make a third one to match the others later and that could be added to their house.

“I brought you something.” Hashirama turned and took a small package out of his pack and gave it to her.

“Oh? Thank you Hashi.” She took the package and unwrapped the paper and tie, inside the paper was a delicate necklace of gold chain, with a teardrop glass pendant of a Sakura blossom frozen in time, it was beautiful.

“Oh Hashi, how beautiful. Thank you so much.” She smiled at him.

“Allow me to put it on you?” He asked her and picked it up in his hands at her nod.

He stepped closer to her reaching around the back of her neck while he stood in front of her and clasp the necklace around her neck. He trailed his finger over the gold chain to the smooth glass of the sakura blossom trapped in the glass pendant and looked at her smiling. “It looks beautiful on you, matches your hair, I knew it would.” Hi finger rested on the pendant still but his other fingers lightly rested on her collarbone.

She blushed, “Thank you Hashi, I love it.” She looked up at him through her lashes.

He bent his head and leaned forward but stopped as he felt Madara flare his chakra to let them know he was there and stepped back from her grimacing.

He was going to kiss me? She didn’t know how she felt about that, but she didn’t have time to wonder further as Madara stepped into the cavern holding a small bag that was dripping blood out of the bottom on the left side.

“Hashirama, Shizuka, good to see you. I caught two rabbits on the way here for lunch if you’re hungry?” He smiled at his friends. War could wait, this was important to him too.

Shizuka smiled and went to hug him and take the rabbits to skin them. “Welcome home Mada.” she kissed his cheek and turned away to set the rabbits by the fire and fill their pot with water.

Madara smiled at her and sat down on a bench by Hashirama. “How was your three days?” He asked him.

“Ugh, I don’t want to even talk about it , even if I could.” Hashirama frowned and grimaced like his head hurt from even mentioning it.

“That bad huh, me too. Young men wait while the old men bicker. I wish I could just do things my way sometimes and be done with it. I’m sick of the fighting.” Madara said bitterly while he looked around the cavern.

“Shizuka! Did you summon those walls?” Madara stood up to inspect the walls. She had done a very good job...no cracks.

“Yes! I worked on it for almost three days straight and guess what else I worked on?” She smiled wickedly and they smiled back expectantly.

She bent over and picked up a decent sized rock the size of her hand, she focused her chakra to her fingers and palm and crushed the rock to dust grinning.

“You perfected it! You have perfect chakra control and complete mastery of it now!” Hashirama was clapping again.

“Hashi, does that mean she can heal now, or start to learn to? Like you?” Madara asked in wonder.

“I wondered that too, I really want to learn how to heal, can you teach me Hashi?” She asked eagerly. 

“I think so, it is very difficult and even I have trouble with some injuries but I will teach you everything I know.” He promised.

“Great! Let me make lunch first!” She went to skin break the bones and skin the rabbits for their stew.

Madara watched her smile as she skillfully cut and skinned the rabbits he had brought her.” I have lost so many people I love in the wars, I don’t want to lose her too. I wish there was a place, we could all go together, a place of peace without war, just for us.”

“I agree, but not just for us, for anyone who wishes for peace, a village, one day, maybe you and I could start our own village, or all of us together. Me, you and Shizuka a village of peace.” Hashirama watched Shizuka slice the rabbit meat into chunks and add them to the pot that would be their lunch. Peace would be nice.

“Where it wouldn’t matter what your name was if you served the village and supported the vision of peace?” Madara asked for his friend’s opinion.

“Yes. A shinobi village, we would need money, funding, but a shinobi village leaning toward peace and protection, not war and conquest. Where we could have a family and our children wouldn’t be forced into war like us at such young ages.” Hashirama thought of his younger brothers who had died their first time on the battlefield, such a waste.

“Indeed, that is a nice dream.” Madara smiled ruefully at Shizuka cutting up winter carrots and adding them to the chunks of rabbit meat. A family of his own would be nice someday.

Shizuka looked up from her work and smiled as she saw both her boys, side by side, looking at her. She missed her parents and was sad sometimes but was thankful for this new family, her boys meant everything to her.

“Madara, let’s promise, promise we will never let anything come between our friendship, our little family. You are...you are like a brother to me.” Hashirama turned to his friend of many secret years and held his hand out palm up.

“I promise old friend, let nothing come between us, my brother.” Madara laid his hand over Hashirama’s palm down and they clasp one another hard and smiled looking to Shizuka, “and let’s promise to always keep her safe.”

“Agreed.” Hashirama said firmly.

Two years later…

“Madara! Get your spikey haired, good for nothing, crack brained ass back here!” Shizuka yelled at him as he ran out of the cave.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t know you were bathing! Shizuka stop!” He dodged just in time. Earth exploded where he was standing just moments ago. “Please! Calm down! You’re being irrational!” He yelled at her angry now because she had really tried to hit him.

“Irrational? I’m being irrational?” Anger swelled in her chest and she screamed at him, “You saw me naked! You, you, Pervert!” She ran at him clutching the towel to her chest.

“Well, if it helps, you looked quite lovely there naked in the water and…” He gasped as she came down with her fist again. “Damn it woman! Stop and listen!” He flickered behind her and she ducked kicking up, catching him in the groin, he dropped like a rock.

She stood over him huffing but he was grinning up at her through the pain, it was an odd expression.

“What the hell are you smiling at?” She demanded.

“Um, there is a gap in your towel.” He grinned wickedly at her and rolled out of the way before she could stomp on him with a chakra infused foot.

“Stay out of the cave until I come back to get you! I’m going to go finish my bath! Don’t you dare come back inside !” She stomped off leaving little indents in the ground from her feet.

“It was worth it.” He lay on the ground clutching his balls in pain but still grinning.

“What the hell did you do now?” Hashirama’s face came into view over Madara’s blocking out the view he had of the clouds moments ago.

“I saw her naked...bathing in the pool, in the cave.” Madara couldn’t stop grinning.

“Oh, that explains the craters, is it just me or has her temper got worse as we get older and she gets stronger?” Hashirama sighed and held a hand out to his friend.

“Oh she is much worse than she used to be, but I like it. A meek placid woman is a bore. Shizuka is firey and powerful, it’s hot.” Madara smirks.

“Yeah she is, she excels faster than you do Madara, the way she learns new jutsu, it is unheard of.” Hashirama still marveled at Shizuka’s ability to learn jutsu through scrolls. He couldn’t do it. He was a more hands on, trial and error kind of genius.

“I have had to widen the genjutsu range of protection twice in the last two years because of her! We are running out of space!” Madara laughs.

“What are you laughing at Mada?” Shizuka narrows her eyes at him and nods to Hashirama, coming out of the cave.

“Nothing, nothing!” Madara fakes looking scared and holds up his hands.

“I’m going to the village today, you want to come with me?” She asked them and they nod.

She had gotten much better with her Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu with the help of her best friends over the years they had been together. She had mastered most of her Earth and Water releases as well as a number of high level genjutsu that Madara had helped her with, and they both agreed her Taijutsu was excellent with the added bonus of her monstrous chakra infused strength. Shizuka had surpassed Hashirama in healing jutsu just this year and could heal both faster than him while using less chakra to do so. They had been true to their word, they had helped her to become a very formidable shinobi.

The three friends entered the village in henges and headed for the market. Shizuka earned a small bit of money by making medicinal salves and selling them through the local hospital. She went into the village once a week to buy anything she needed but also to restock her salves and collect her money. She made her way to the small hospital and went inside as her friends headed on toward the market, she would meet them after.

“Good afternoon Hana chan!” The girl behind the medical counter greeted her kindly with the henge name she used to disguise herself in the village her parents had been murdered in. It had been two years but pink hair was rare.

“How are you Hiko?” Shizuka asked her politely.

“Very well thank you Hana chan. I have your profits here.” The girl handed her a small but full purse.

“Thank you, here are the newly prepared salves for this week. See you next week Hiko, stay well.”

“Bye Hana Chan!”

Shizuka left the hospital to find her boys in the market. The market was crowded that day and she had to stop several times and look around her in case she miss them in the crowd. Normally it wouldn’t be an issue, both of them were so striking in appearance but in their henges they were very ordinary, which of course was the reason for the henge. It made them difficult to find though. She stepped up onto a bench nearby to get a better view over the heads of the mass of people.

“Are you lost?” A handsome man was smiling up at her. He had his long jet black hair tied back in a ponytail but it stuck out a little up top and in the front where it was slightly shorter, he had dark coal eyes like Madara, in fact, he looked very similar to Madara and she stared at him.

Realizing how rude she was being she flushed and stammered, “Oh, I’m terribly sorry. Um, no I’m not lost but I lost my friends and can’t find them, I thought I would be able to see them better if I was on this bench.” She stepped down from the bench to stand beside him.

He was looking at her with his head cocked as if he was trying to place her, oh no, she thought, did he know she was in a henge? Did he know she was the outsider girl whose parents were murdered here two years ago?

She opened her mouth to tell him she needed to get going and apologize but a voice interrupted her.

“Hana, we must have missed you, come we have everything we need from the market, let’s go home.” Hashirama spoke firmly but kindly to her.

“Uh ok, um, it was nice to meet you.” She turned to leave but the stranger spoke.

“Izuna, my name is Izuna Uchiha. It was very nice to meet you, Hana.” He smiled at her and walked back into the crowds of people and disappeared.

“Uchiha.” Hashirama muttered as he pulled on her arm.

“He looks like Madara doesn’t he Hashi?” She whispered to her friend as they made their way through the crowds.

“Yes.” Was all Hashirama said.

“Doesn’t Madara have a younger brother?” She asked him.

“He had four but only one still living, yes.” Hashirama said.

“Like you.” She said.

“Yes.” He said as they spotted Madara waiting for them impatiently by the outskirts of the village.

“What the hell took you so long?” Madara gruffed at them and they rolled their eyes.

They joked and teased one another all the way home to their cave.

______________

That night Shizuka woke to a gasping noise coming from the entrance of the cave. She crawled out of her futon and made her way silently to the noise.

“Madara!” She bent low over her friend he was bleeding badly, blood flowing over his hand that was pressed to his side.

“Slashed, my side, the bastard, I was close by, came for you to heal me, please Shizuka, I’m sorry.” He gasped out in between breaths. This was bad, Madara was tough, durable, was the blade poisoned? She hoped not, she had only begun learning about poisons and how to make antidotes.

She infused her hands and arms with chakra and lifted him gently carrying him to their small house and laying him on the planked floor of the kitchen in front of the coals that still glowed warmly. She stoked the fire and threw two logs on it for both warmth and light. With a kunai she cut his shirt away and moved his hand. 

“Shit.” It was a deep slash but the blade had been sharp and it was a clean cut.

She cleaned the wound with alcohol that made him scream and then patted it dry with gauze. Next she infused her hands with healing chakra running them over the length of the slash slowly healing muscle and skin alike till there was no cut, not scar, nothing.

She quickly scanned him with her chakra for other injuries and found he had two broken ribs and internal bleeding in his lungs, she took her time and healed them all.

“Thank you Shizuka, I appreciate it.” Madara said.

“Who did this to you?” She asked him as she filled the kettle with water to boil for tea.

“A small group of Senju, I was taking out my newest falcon for night training and met them by accident. We both had our chakra suppressed and it was just bad luck we ran into each other. It was three to one and normally I like those odds just fine but I had drained my chakra earlier after the market training with my little brother and wasn’t at my prime.” He admitted.

“Did you kill them?” She asked him.

“No, I don’t kill them unless I have to.” Madara spoke quietly.

The past two years had been hard on her boys. The wars had only gotten worse. They never mentioned clan names, or specifics about their battles that could identify them but she knew, they were both from rich and prominent clans, therefore they were at war the most. They were not boys anymore she always had to remind herself. They were men. Men hardened by war and blood and loss ...and she thought, responsibility. She wasn't a fool. She read books on mathematics, history, science and politics, she knew what their lives must be like, she had an idea of what their places were in their clans though they never said. Her men.

“Will there ever be peace?’ She asked him sadly, they had talked of it so many times, all three of them, a pipe dream.

“I don’t know, I wish, I want there to be but. I don’t think so. There is too much hate, too many have died.” Madara took her hand. “I am just glad you are here, hidden and safe.

“I don’t want to hide here forever Madara. I feel like a caged bird. I want to see the world, or at least travel to the more distant surrounding villages, go...somewhere do ...something.” She sighed.

“It isn’t safe, and you are a trained ninja, you would be drawn into the chaos. Do you know what your death would do to us? To me? No, you will stay here where it is safe.” He told her...not for the first time.

It had been a year since she had thrown a fit at being locked away. She had argued with them both that she was trained enough to go to the villages on her own, that she could look out for and protect herself. They had tested her again and again and agreed her skill level was high enough that they felt comfortable for her to go to the nearest village no more than once a week. She had been delighted, but now...she wanted more. They knew it too.

Shizuka poured their tea and they sat in silence for a time each sipping from their own cup.

“I should go. Get some sleep Shizuka, I will see you in a week. I have a mission, I leave tomorrow night. I will see you when I get back. Be safe.” Madara rose and set his cup on the counter.

“Be safe Mada. I worry when you are one, sometimes I wonder if each time I see you will be the last. I would never know what happened to you, either of you if you died. No one knows about me, there would be no one to tell me. What if you both died? I would be alone again. Hashirama stopped by earlier, he left on a mission too, he will be gone for three days.” She looked up at him, worry clear in her eyes.

“What if.” He hesitated. “What if you married one of us? Then, you would have the backing of our clan, and you wouldn’t be alone if one of us died.”

“I couldn’t choose between you and Hashirama. Besides your clan heads would never agree to such a marriage, a clanless girl with no money, civilian born no less...no, it is impossible.” She smiled at his thoughtfulness.

“It could be managed, eventually. If you wanted it.” He was closer to her now. “If you want one of us.” He bent his head to hers, so close. He stepped back. “Think about it. Neither Hashirama nor I would want you to be alone, and we are at war, you are right, the reality is one of us may die. Not easily mind you.” He smiled at her.

She smacked him lightly on the chest and he caught her hand. “I will mention it to Hashi, you think about it okay?” He said and when she nodded, he left.

She placed her empty cup beside Madara’s and went back to bed.

Madara ran through the trees back to the Uchiha compound. His brother met him at the gate.

“Madara, where have you been, I got worried. Your falcon came back an hour ago without you. Did you meet any trouble while you were out?” Izuna asked him as they walked to the main house.

“Yes, there were three Senju who attacked me, I lost my falcon in the fight, and used up a lot of chakra I needed to catch my breath, they were quite skilled.” Madara told the half truth.

“Those Senju dogs! I hate them, I don’t understand why we don’t storm their compound and wipe them out then take their lands.” Izuna said bitterly following his brother into his room.

“We couldn’t wipe them out without getting wiped out ourselves. There is a reason we have been at war with them for so long. As much as we loathe to admit it, they are a formidable adversary.” Madara pointed out to his brother, not for the first time.

“You leave tomorrow night for your mission in rain?” Izuna asked.

“Yes, I will be gone a week, can you check on my falcons while I’m gone?” Madara asked Izuna who nodded that he would.

“I’ll see you in the morning Izuna, I need to get some rest for my mission.” Madara said.

“Sure, can we have lunch together before you leave?” Izuna asked smiling.

“Of course.” Madara smiled at his younger brother.

Izuna walked through the woods the next day after Madara had left, his chakra masked to avoid conflict, as he made his way to the river. Ever since that night two years ago he would come here periodically thinking of the water fairy and her possible relationship with his brother. Madara never told him about her so he thought , maybe they didn’t have a relationship. 

He knew his brother came here often in between missions and when he had free time but he never saw the fairy come out of the cave with his brother. His brother always went in, stayed for an hour or hours, sometimes the night or two but he always came out alone.

He had noticed the changes in his brother after that night, he was more patient, almost kinder and Izuna didn’t want to ruin that for his brother. He wanted him to be happy, no matter how curious he was about the beautiful fairy. 

Izuna could smell the water before he saw it. He walked out of the forest to the river’s bank and sat on a large rock overlooking the moving water. He sat there quietly thinking over the last year and how the conflict between the Senju and the Uchiha had grown more violent. He hated them, they had taken his younger brothers from him, he was sure the stress of the wars had killed his mother, he wanted them all dead. He knew that if they were all dead his clan could be happy, that it would solve all of their problems.

So much blood, it wasn't enough. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. A small noise distracted him. A girl was coming out of the woods by the river downstream from him. It was the girl from the market that he had asked if she was lost. What was she doing out here by herself, didn’t she know how dangerous it was? Where was her friend from yesterday? He watched her make her way toward him, she didn’t seem to know he was there.

Izuna stood up and put his hands behind him in a relaxed fashion, he didn’t want to scare her.

“Good afternoon.” He called to her.

Shizuka froze. Was that Izuna? “Um Hi.” She said timidly. 

“Forgive me if I am rude but why are you out here alone, it is very dangerous for a young woman to walk the forest and river banks alone. Where is your friend from yesterday?” He asked her.

“Gone, he um doesn’t live around here. I'm okay, I’m just going to gather mushrooms in the forest and small herbs.” She had recently started coming out of the cave by herself in the afternoons to look for herbs and mushrooms. She never went far and she never met anyone. Until now.

“Allow me to go with you, to make sure you are not bothered and return to your home safely. I insist. If something should happen to you I would feel responsible for not offering.” Izuna smiled a charming smile at her. 

“Oh well, I am not going to be long, you really don’t need to , thank you though I appreciate the offer.” She tried to turn around and walk the other way but he was fast.

“Please, I won’t be a bother I promise. I have seen too many civilians killed who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.” He said sincerely.

She nodded and they walked into the forest together. She gathered mushrooms she saw growing in small little bunches like little old men leaning over with wide hats on under the trees humming to herself. There was a good amount of wolf’s bane growing in a sunny patch she dug up and put in her basket, she would transplant it into her garden when she got back.

They moved slowly in silence for some time, him watching her and the forest in turn, she blushing and trying not to look at him.

“Do you live in the village?” He asked her when the silence was too much for him.

“I used to but I don’t anymore.” She said not looking at him.

“Anymore? Where do you live now?” He was curious.

“Um, elsewhere.” She said vaguely.

“I understand, you don’t know me, I’m sorry, that was a rude question.” He smiled kindly at her.

:I’m sorry, I am not trying to be rude, of course you are curious, but you are a stranger, like you said.” She smiled at him then.

They continued on in peaceful silence until he heard voices nearby. He motioned her behind a tree while he pulled out two kunai and waited. Two men came out of the thicket of the forest and stopped.

“Senju dogs!” Izuna yelled and jumped to them, they jumped to the trees throwing senbon at him as they kicked off of the trees coming back with swords drawn.

Izuna let loose a huge fireball at one of the incoming Senju and the man screamed as the flames engulfed him. The other Senju was on his back before Izuna could turn and he slammed his back up against a tree scanning the area for the girl to make sure she was ok but he couldn’t see her behind the tree where he had left her. Had she run away scared?

The Senju on his back was trying to choke him , he grabbed him by the arm and flung him over his head, he heard a feminine scream. The girl.

She had jumped to the trees. A shinobi? Izuna’s eyes went wide.

The Senju yelled, “Bitch!” 

She turned on her heel in the tree and scoffed at him. Izuna saw two senbon sticking out of the man’s neck.

“They are poisoned.” She said calmly and hopped out of the tree.

Izuna drew his katana and pierced the Senju through his heart before the girl could walk to the man.

She gasped, “Why did you do that? I had already poisoned him.”

She had poisoned him, but it wasn't a fatal poison, he wouldn’t have died, but now, it was too late.

“You’re, you’re a shinobi! What clan are you from?” Izuna pointed his sword at her heart.

“I am not from a clan, lower your sword Izuna.” She said calmly. “I do not wish to fight you, but I will, if you make me.”

“You can not be a shinobi and not have a clan, what clan are you from?” He asked her again.

“I am civilian born, I am not from a clan.” She repeated. “Nor am I affiliated with one.”

“Who is your master?” He asked her more curious than suspicious. “The way you move, it reminds me of someone.”

Of Course it did, your brother helped train me, she thought.

“I have no master. I learned from trial and error.” She said in part truth.

Realization started to dawn on him. “You, live in the forest don’t you?” He spoke carefully. “Are you in a henge?”

“Yes.” She said. “I live in the forest and am in a henge. I sell medicinal salves in the village where we met. I don’t cause trouble, I don’t want any. This was unfortunate.” She waved her hand over the two dead Senju.

“They deserved to die, they are Senju and they have killed many people I love, people of my clan. I am Izuna Uchiha...we are at war with the Senju.” He told her.

“A war that will never end it seems.” She spoke more harshly than she had meant to.

“The war will end when they are all dead. I tell my brother but he refuses to listen.” He said it bitterly.

Shizuka watched him fume. So full of hatred. “Who is your brother?”

“Madara Uchiha.” He said surprised she didn’t know.

Her eyes went wide. “Oh, I thought, but of course. I should go.” She walked to her basket she had discarded when the men had appeared and picked it up. “Thank You Izuna.” and she started walking back toward the river.

Izuna followed her. “Where are you going, let me walk you home, what if there are more of them?” He protested.

“I am not an Uchiha, why would they harass me?” She pointed out.

“You are a young woman, alone in the forest, of course they will harass you, they are terrible horrible people, the whole clan,” He had caught up to her and was walking beside her watching her face. “Will you take down your henge so I can see who you are ?”

“That isn’t a good idea. I live in the woods for a reason Izuna.” She smiled at him.

“You know who I am, you know my name and my clan.” He argued.

“I am hiding from the people who killed my parents.” She stopped and looked at him. “I can’t risk anyone seeing. Those men, are the first besides you that I have seen in this forest that I didn’t know in the last two years. It is dangerous.” She started walking again.

“You’re parents were murdered?” He asked her.

“Yes.” She said.

“And you chose to live in the woods, did you not have any other family to turn to after your parent’s deaths?” He had a big family, he knew there were those who didn’t but it astounded him to find she had no one to turn to, that she was alone.

“I have my friends, they help me. I don’t need anyone else.” She thought of her conversation with Madara last night...what if they died and she never knew.

“I can cast a genjutsu, noone but me will see.” Izuna wanted to know, was this the fairy from the cave, this mysterious girl.

“I don’t know.” She bit her lip and looked around as she made her way back to the river down a little ways from her usual entrance because of her tag along. She stood by the rock he had been sitting on earlier looking up and down the river.

“Please Hana?” He called her by her henge name.

He was Madara’s little brother, he could be trusted right? She nodded. “Cast your genjutsu please.”

Izuna smiled and cast his genjutsu around them. She saw it fall around them like smoke on the water. He waited watching her. She smiled slightly and released her henge.

Her pink hair was loose and long falling down her back, she wore a mid length black kimono with black pants and a blue sash similar to the one he had seen her put on after her bath two years ago. Bright green eyes met coal. 

“My name is Shizuka, not Hana. You must not mention my name in the village or my likeness.” and she sprinted away releasing his genjutsu and running into another genjutsu he knew covered the entrance to a cave...where she lived, pink hair glinting in the late afternoon sun.

“So, you’re not a fairy, but a woman. A beautiful shinobi.” He sat down on the rock and looked out over the river.

She stood within the genjutsu of her cave and river sanctuary looking out at Izuna sitting on the rock by the river. I hope I didn’t make a mistake by showing him, Madara’s little brother, she thought as she watched him.


	4. Battle

Kaishi Chapter 3 Battle

Hashirama rubbed his hands over his face. Two Senju were found dead in the forest by Shizuka’s cave. One of them had senbon in his neck, hers. He knew she never used deadly poison, it had been a sword through the heart that had killed him, but it had also meant she had been there. He had just gotten back from his latest mission when his brother had told him, furious at the Uchiha whom he blamed. It had probably been an Uchiha, the burns on the other Senju suggested a fireball jutsu, which they were known for. Which meant, Madara had killed the two Senju, in front of Shizuka.

Tobirama was pacing back and forth in front of him in his room, fuming. “We have to do something brother, we can’t let this slide, I have had enough, the Uchiha are cursed, they are a plague of evil upon the land of Fire and need to be eradicated.”

Hashirama was sick of it too, but not in the same way as Tobirama. He wanted peace with the Uchiha. Hashirama was angry too, but for different reasons again, how could Madara kill in front of Shizuka, by doing so he had dragged her into the war that they had both been trying to protect her from, to keep her out of. He hadn’t been to her since he had gotten back, he needed to see her, to confirm his assumption. He didn’t want to think Madara so careless, he had thought Madara kept from killing if he could. If it had been Madara to kill the Senju, then it meant Shizuka had been in danger. He would go see her to make sure she was okay.

“Tobi, I am getting a headache, I need to go for a walk and think. This war is progressing far more quickly than any of us could have imagined, it will come to a head soon. I have to think. I’m going for a walk, I’ll be back later.” Hashirama stood and walked past his gaping brother and out of his room.

“Hashi, we need to talk about this, what are we going to do about this?” Tobirama demanded of his elder brother.

“What is there to do, right now about it? We have buried the dead, the Uchiha didn’t steal or desecrate their bodies, that is what is important right now. Mourn them, I will return soon.” Hashirama left the house and headed to the forest, to Shizuka.

Tobirama glared at his brother, why was he always so slow to act, did it not anger him like it did him? The Uchiha were worse than animals, the Curse of the Hatred ruled them, drove them mad and made them evil. There was no peace to be had with them as his brother wanted, hoped for, they had no hope, only destruction. Tobirama refused to let the conversation end here, he masked his chakra and followed his brother into the forest.

Shizuka stood by the tub of laundry, by the river, wringing and dunking her clothes in the tub. One by one she set the scrubbed and wrung clothes into the clean water to rinse and emptied the dirty tub of water into the river. She swooshed the clean clothes in the new tub until all the soap was out of them and wrung them, placing them one by one on the clothes line she had strung from one tree to another. It was a beautiful day out. After all her clothes had been washed , rinsed and hung, she sat by the river reading a scroll on seals that Hashirama had given her the last time he came back from visiting with the Uzumaki. She was very interested in seals and with her perfect chakra control she was playing with the idea of a new kind of jutsu.

She had yet to invent a jutsu of her own but as she read more and more about different kinds of jutsu and chakra she came to realize just how rare her perfect chakra control was. It should be used to her advantage. After watching Hashirama and Madara spar and after sparing with them herself, she wished there was a way to store part of her jutsu away, to use for later. They had more chakra than her and it always annoyed her when she had to stop before them. She wanted to be strong, like them, she didn’t want to be left behind.

If there was a way she could make a seal that kept part of her chakra in it locked away that she could released when she needed it, that would be ideal. How to do it though, that was what she needed to figure out.

She could feel someone coming but they were masking their chakra, which was not unusual for either of her men to do when coming to see her, but she stood nonetheless in case it was someone she didn’t know.

It had been three days since she had met Izuna by the river. He had stayed for a time after she had released her henge and shown him her true form and told him her name. He hadn’t come back the next day but yesterday, he had. Izuna walked up to the river and sat on the rock watching the water flow by him. He would look every now and then over to where she stood behind the genjutsu watching him. She swore he knew she was there but he never approached the genjutsu border, never tried to break it or to get her to come out, he just sat on the rock a few hours then left. 

Two more days. Madara would be back in two more days if everything went well with his mission. She hoped he was alright.

Hashirama walked out of the forest on the other side of the river and leapt over it to her side breaking the genjutsu and smiling at her.

She smiled and re-cast the genjutsu, but not before Tobirama had seen her smile at his brother, just a glimpse of green eyes and pink hair. A forest fairy? Nonsense, Tobirama thought to himself. Who was she though and why was his brother meeting her? Tobirama sat in a tree across from the spot his brother had disappeared and waited, watching.

“Hashi, you’re back, how was your mission?” Shizuka asked him as she rolled up the scroll she had been reading.

“It went very well, it was an escort mission, I had to escort an Uzumaki princess to and from a wedding in another village than her own, it was uneventful and boring, but that is a good thing.” He smiled at her, she looked well.

“A princess? Was she beautiful? It sounds so exciting, I wish I could do missions!” She said thoughtfully.

“Mito Hime is very beautiful yes, her hair is red, like the summer red wine and very vivid. She is a skilled kunoichi and is a master of seals. I asked her about a few of the seals she is well known for but she was hesitant to talk to me about them. We may be allied but clan secrets are secrets for a reason.” He shrugged. He had hoped to find out more about the Uzumaki seals not only for himself but for Shizuka, he knew she was trying to create her own jutsu and he wanted to help her if he could.

“She sounds fascinating, I wish I could have met her too.” Shizuka pouted.

“Yes Mito is quite extraordinary.” He agreed.

“Oh?” Said Shizuka in a teasing tone, “You said she was beautiful too hum, does someone have a little crush on the Uzumaki princess Hashi?” She teased him and poked him in the tummy.

Hashirama blushed deeply, “No!” He said a little too quickly, “I she, she is just interesting to talk to, you know?” He blushed again and looked away. “I like someone else though.” He admitted.

“You do? I was just teasing, who do you like Hashi?” She asked him.

“Oh uh, it isn’t important.” He obviously didn't want to talk about it.

She laughed at him and told him Madara would be back in two days from a mission he was on and asked him to come by if he could so they could all have dinner together.

That reminded him of earlier.

“Shizuka, my clan had heard of two Senju murdered in the forest near our cave, and one of them had two senbon in his neck, do you know who killed them? One was burned by a fire ball it seems and the other pierced through the heart.” He asked her casually.

She turned pale. So, she had been there when it happened and those were her senbon in the man’s neck. She had told him Madara would be back in two days though, he is on a mission.

“When did Madara leave for his mission Shizuka?” Hashirama asked her.

She knew what he was asking, she wasn’t stupid. She had long ago put two and two together. The only reason her men didn’t see it or talk about it was because they both didn’t want to see the truth. They were best friends, brothers to her, to one another.

“It wasn’t Madara who killed the Senju, Hashirama. It was his little brother Izuna. I met him in my henge by the river by accident. Madara had already left on his mission when it happened.” She told him softly.

“Izuna.” Hashirama frown and then his eyes went wide, “You, you spoke to him? He told you his name? Shizuka, does he know where you live? Does he know about the cave about Madara and I?” Hashirama could feel his world slipping around him.

“No!” She rushed to say, she could see how worried he was. “No, he doesn’t really know who I am, at least who I am to you or Madara. He knows nothing of yours or our relationship. He attacked the Senju to protect me I think. He thought they would hurt me, alone in the woods.” She tried to explain.

“You were alone in the woods!” He almost yelled at her.

“No, Izuna was there but, I go sometimes just for a min to collect mushrooms and herbs I need. You and Madara don’t come as often as you used to and I need things, I had never run into anyone before today. It was an accident.” She didn’t know what else to say, she felt a little guilty and could see the pain on his face as he contemplated her alone in the forest with both of them gone out of range on missions.

“Izuna was kind to me, offered to go with me and I let him. Meeting the Senju was an accident. One of them went flying at me, I hit him in the neck with my senbon, they weren’t dipped in anything lethal just a numbing solution to give me time to escape but Izuna he, he didn’t let it end at that he, he stabbed him Hashi...in his heart.” She was pale again.

Hashirama wanted to scold her more, wanted to yell at her, angry she had left the cave and gone to the forest intending to go alone. She had never seen war, her parents had been murdered but she hadn’t seen them burn. The men, men of his clan, had been killed right before her eyes, by his best friend’s little brother. 

“Come.” He held out his arms to her and she stepped into them and he wrapped them around her and held her as she cried. “This is what we had wanted to protect you from.”

“I know, I’m sorry.” She said softly, her tears slowing.

“I fear our time is running out and I don’t know what to do.” Hashirama whispered into her hair as they held onto one another.

“You’re a Senju aren’t you Hashi, I have known or suspected for the last year now. Madara, he is an Uchiha I know for a fact now, my guess confirmed by Izuna. You are at war, with your brother. Have you met on the battlefield?” She asked him looking up at him.

“No, not yet, and I don’t ever want to. We, I fight behind my father and I don’t often see the front lines. I am the heir to the Senju Clan, there are only two out of the four of us left. If I fall on the field, my brother would succeed me and he is not ready, being too hot headed.”

She nodded.

“What do I do Shizuka? I hate this war and I know Madara does too but while our father’s live, peace is impossible.” He held her tight.

“What about when they die, can you and Madara not make a truce and form an alliance? I do not wish ill on either one of your fathers but, when they do, can you two as the new clan heads not create peace where war once stood, like we have talked about, like you have always wanted?” She asked him.

“The clans, there is so much hate, I fear it would take more, something more than just the two of us wanting peace. We maybe be the heirs and then the clan heads when our father’s pass but generations lost to blood and war on both sides, the hate is too deep. I would need the added support of my brother and Madara would need his, we would need to stand firm in the face of our clans, or they would strip us of our title and give it to our brothers. It seems impossible.” 

His head was hurting again. Tobirama hated the Uchiha, and he knew Izuna hated the Senju just as much.

“I believe in you and Madara, I think you can do it, you can end this war. I believe in you.” She hugged him tight.

“I’ll try. If I can, I will try. I should go. I’ll be back in two days, please don’t leave the protection of the seals and the genjutsu Shizuka, the forest is no longer safe.” He kissed her forehead and left.

Tobirama watched his brother walk out of what could only be a genjutsu, he appeared out of nowhere and it wasn’t a teleportation jutsu. Hashirama jumped the river and was about to walk right by him when he jumped down from his tree he had been sitting in.

“Tobirama!” Hashirama’s eyes went wide, “What are you doing here?” Hashirama looked back to where he knew Shizuka was watching him and then started walking fast back toward the Senju compound some few miles away.

“I am wondering who that woman is with the pink hair and why you are out here in the middle of the forest meeting with her behind a genjutsu.” Tobirama deadpanned.

Tobirama, always straight to the point Hashirama sighed. “It’s none of your business.”

“Is she the friend you told me about, the clanless friend you train with?” Tobirama demanded.

“Uh yeah.” It wasn’t a complete lie. He did train with her and she was a clanless friend. He had been referring to Madara last time though...mostly.

“Why is she out here in the middle of nowhere? Where is her family, even if she is clanless, surely she must have a family.” Tobirama was more curious now that he had finally found out who his brother had been sneaking off to see these past years.

“They were murdered Tobi, I um, help her. She is my friend and I care about her. Leave it be ok, there is nothing more to it than that.” Hashirama warned.

“You care for her? What does that mean, you love her? What is your relationship?” Tobirama was suspicious again. His brother was the clan heir and women were sneaky, his brother was a fool when it came to women and he wouldn’t be surprised if some harlot suckered him into marriage. “If she is a clanless harlot who…”

He never got to finish the sentence. “Do not speak of things you know nothing about. Brother. Leave it, let’s go home.” Hashirama spoke harshly to him, which was rare. 

Tobirama shut his mouth and said, “I’m only looking out for you brother.”

“I know, she is a good friend, I trust her, leave it be.” Hashirama said gently and they walked home together.

Shizuka had seen the white haired man jumped down from the tree beside Hashirama, so, she thought to herself, that was his brother Tobirama. He looked just as Hashirama had described, right down to the suspicious scowl.

Three days later…

Madara made his way to the cave where his friends were waiting for him. His mission to rain had been difficult. There were just the two of them, him and one other Uchiha. The wars were taking a toll on his clan. Their numbers were fewer. No matter how strong you were, you would fall if outnumbered. He knew it, his clan knew it. The Senju knew it.

He had left the clan meeting and immediately headed for the forest. He knew Izuna had wanted to talk to him after the meeting but he had to get out of there. The stress, the loss was getting to him. His clan had to make a choice. They were coming to a precipice, he could feel it and it weighed on his soul. Peace was impossible.

Izuna watched his brother leave the compound and leap into the trees.

Madara smiled as he neared the cave, Shizuka’s genjutsu is getting even better. She improved almost daily, she trained almost daily. He needed to talk to Hashirama. 

He saw them by the pool in the cavern talking and laughing, a weight lifted from his chest as he walked towards them and smiled in greeting.

“Madara!” Shizuka jumped into his arms hugging him.

“Shizuka.” He hugged her back, it was so nice to have her against him, she calmed his nerves and made him smile. 

“Hashirama.” Madara greeted his friend with Shizuka still in his arms.

“Madara, good to see you old friend.” Hashirama smiled. 

They had been greeting one another with those words more and more as of late, as if subconsciously reminding themselves, they were old friends.

“Shizuka said you had left on a mission, glad to see you home safe.” Hashirama added.

“Glad to be back.” Madara said. “I brought this back with me for you.” He pulled out a small plant in a pot for her.” I forget what it is called but the herb woman told me it helped with minor swelling, Tingsei , I think she called it.” He smiled as her face lit up.

“You two spoil me, thank you Madara.” She smiled and went to set the pot outside by her garden.

When she came back she noticed they had moved to the kitchen and were sitting at the table. She put on some water to boil for tea and pulled some rice cakes from the pantry for them. Dinner was a hog Hashirama had brought her, roasting in the over large kitchen fireplace behind them.

“I think it is something we ought to discuss with her.” Madara said as she sat back down at the table with the tea pot and poured for all three of them.

“With me?” She asked.

“Yes. I spoke to you briefly before, I think you should marry one of us, that way if something happens, you won’t be alone.” Madara looked to Hashirama who nodded in agreement.

“I think he is right, if you were to marry one of us...if one of us should die, you would have the backing of our clan, you would not be left unprotected, you would have a family.” Hashirama said.

They were both looking at her now.

“You want me to choose...between you?” She asked them surprised.

“Well, you can’t marry us both can you.” Madara laughed, but there was no real humor in his laughter.

Hashirama smiled. “You don’t have to choose right now, just think about it.”

“That’s what I told her last time.” Madara said.

“I can’t, I mean, I will not choose between you. You both mean so much to me. I am not a fool. I know you are from two different clans, by choosing one, I chose to let go of the other. I won’t do that.” She said firmly.

Everyone knew what she was really saying, but no one wanted to say it bluntly. Hashirama stuffed a rice cake in his mouth as if to stop himself from saying something he might regret. Madara sipped his tea and Shizuka watched them, her men. Dinner that evening was depressing. Hashirama and Shizuka told Madara what had happened while he was gone. She told him about Izuna and the Senju, Hashirama told him she knew who they were and confirmed that he knew who Madara was, and Madara confirmed who Hashirama was.

“Brother.” Hashirama said to Madara, “Your name, like before. Does not matter to me.”

“Nor yours, like before. Brother.” Madara had replied.

Would it last Shizuka thought looking from one to the other, how much longer did they have to stay here, to be connected by this bond, to be happy in one another. In her heart, she felt the end was drawing near.

________________

(((He was laying in a pool of blood when she found him, his eyes gouged out, blood running down his cheeks. Black hair the color of the darkest night spread out on the bloody mud ground beneath him. His mouth was open as though his last breath had been a scream. His arms were flung wide, also a bloody mess like his eyes, slashed to ribbons blood soaked the striped fabric of his sleeves. Bare chest, shirt fallen to the side, also slashed and drained of life’s blood, his legs broken and tangled with another body...his executioner? Or his prey. It didn’t matter...equals in death.

She knelt by his side and wept. Dead hands reached up to grip her arms, eyeless sockets stared her in the face, “Shizuka, why do you weep?” She screamed.)))

Hands gripped her arms and shook her, she tried to hit them to get away but they had her trapped calling her name, “Shizuka! Wake up! A nightmare love, a nightmare! Wake up , please wake up.”

“Madara? Madara! You’re alive oh Madara.” And she started sobbing, shaking in his arms.

“I’m here, everything is ok, don’t worry, it was just a dream, nothing will happen to me I promise.” He held her to him and pet her hair making soft humming noises to soothe her.

Hashirama had left after dinner, Madara had stayed the night, not wanting to go home right away. He knew the elders wanted to have another meeting, probably at the break of dawn, and he wanted more time, he needed to remember what he was doing this for, what he was fighting for. He wasn't only fighting for his clan, he was fighting for her, for them...for peace? Can you find peace through blood? The question had plagued him for years. He still didn’t have an answer.

The woman in his arms was settling a bit, taking in deep staggered breaths. He ran his hands up and down her back, his chin on her head. He had moved from his side of the futons to hers when he heard her moaning and turning in her sleep. When she had screamed he had grabbed her arms trying to shake her awake as gently as possible but she had fought against him frightened, so he had hugged her to his body to restrain her and called out her name louder to rouse her.

“Madara, your eyes, your eyes Madara” she pulled back from his embrace to look at his eyes, they were coal black just as she remembered, still where they were supposed to be. His arms were smooth, scarred but not bleeding, his bare chest was also scared but also not bleeding. She leaned into his chest and sighed relaxing against him, her arms around his waist.” I dreamt you were dead, lying in your own blood on a muddy ground, blood mixed with dirt, your body slashed to shreds, your eyes missing.”

“My eyes were missing?” He asked her cautiously. She knew nothing of his clan’s kekkei genkai, the sharingan. She didn’t know that the Uchiha’s eyes were targeted throughout the nations, that attempts to steal their eyes were a constant threat to his people, and yet she had just had a nightmare that his eyes had been stolen and he lay dead in the mud? It unsettled him.

“Yes, there were empty sockets where your eyes once were blood dripping down your face, I was crying beside you and your hands rose up and grabbed me, your sightless eyes boring into mine, it was...terrifying Madara.” 

“It was just a dream.” He said for both their sakes. “Come lay back down. I’m here, nothing bad will happen.” He lay down on her futon pulling her with him. He let go of her to pull the blanket up and over them , then stretched one arm under her head and turning toward her wrapped the other around her waist. She reached her arms up around his neck and tucked her face into his hair and he drew her up against his body, she could feel the heat of his skin through the thin sleeping wrap she wore and closed her eyes. He was alive, they were safe, here together in her bed, in their home, their cave.

“I don’t know what I would do if anything happened to you, either of you. I love you Madara. I love you both so much.” She said into his hair.

He felt her body move against his when she started to shake again. They never spoke of love. None of them. They knew each loved the other, they did not need to speak of it. Yet, here he was in her bed holding her so close and hearing her tell him that she loved him, even though it was followed by her saying she also loved Hashirama, it felt...like nothing he had ever hoped to feel. He loved her, he loved Hashirama but here like this, he realized, he loved her in a much different way.

“Shizuka, maybe I should go back to my futon. I will be here if you need me but, sleeping like this together, it is not the same as sleeping like uh, like we normally do together.” He tried to gently pull away from her but she pressed her body to his and her arms tightened around his neck. 

“Please, please just for tonight, I need, I want you to be here with me, i don't want to be alone, I need you Mada, please stay here, I want to be close to you.” She turned her face from his hair into his neck, her breath quick and hot against his skin.

He took a deep breath, which was a mistake, he felt her breasts against his chest and swallowed.

“Please.” She said.

“Okay, for tonight.” He told her quietly.

Shizuka nodded into his neck and kissed him quickly then settled against him more relaxed.

Madara lay there listening to her breath, feeling her rub up against him in her sleep and tried to close his eyes and concentrated on sleeping. They had slept together countless times, all three of them, but this was different. The air he breathed was thin, like he couldn’t get enough, her body was impossibly close to his and yet he somehow wanted to get closer. Morning had never come more slowly.

“Shizuka, love, I have to go.” Madara spoke softly to her, trying to wake her gently. He had stayed up all night and held her close to him, watching her sleep, but he needed to get back to his compound, no doubt someone would be looking for him soon. He ran his fingers through her hair and called her name again, she turned her head from his neck so that they were nose to nose and lifted her lips to his. He knew it was an accident, he knew she hadn’t meant to, but he kissed her, his one hand in her hair the other around her neck, he had spent the night holding her in his arms, aching for her and when she brushed her lips against his...he had acted without thinking.

Her eyes did open then and she started to pull away but her held her close and ran his tongue over the seam of her lips.

“Madara.”

When she opened her mouth to say his name he slid his tongue into her mouth and ran it over hers. Sweet, she tasted so sweet. He wanted more. His body moved against hers and he continued to kiss her till he felt her kissing him back. He had to go. He knew he had to go. Izuna would come looking for him. He pulled away from her reluctantly, looking down at her, her lips swollen from his mouth, her hair a tangled mess over her shoulders, she was so beautiful.

“I’m sorry. I have to go, the clan, I am sure there will be a meeting this morning and I don’t want someone to come looking for me. I don’t want to go, I would rather be here with you. I’ll come back as soon as I can. I promise.” He kissed her again, a small quick kiss on the mouth and rose from their bed to dress.

She walked with him to the edge of the genjutsu she had cast to say goodbye. He took her in his arms and hugged her. He didn’t kiss her again, he didn’t know if he would be able to stop if he started again, and left.

Izuna had watched them with red eyes from a tree nearby. Her genjutsu had improved but it was still nothing to an uchiha. He had come here looking for his brother when he wasn't in his bed that morning. He noticed his brother had hugged the woman, there was no kiss, no sign they were more than friends, close friends but Izuna didn’t want to jump to conclusions. He followed his brother back to their compound as the woman turned to go back into her cave.

_____________

“ War, we end this now, call the clan. We leave in two days.” The last words of the council, of his father rang in his head. It had come, the moment he had feared. He would meet Hashirama on the battlefield.

_____________

“They give us no other choice, they will not back down, they will not compromise. They force this on themselves. We will meet the Uchiha in battle, tell the clan to make ready. We leave in two days.” The Senju council had agreed. Hashirama shook his head, no, this couldn’t be happening, he didn’t want this, he didn’t want to look across a battlefield littered with corpses and be forced to fight Madara, his brother, his friend.

______________

Basket in hand she made her weekly trip to the hospital. She had just stepped out onto the street after picking up her wage and dropping off her stock when a hand shot out and grabbed her arm pulling her into an alley between a fruit stand and the hospital.

She spun out of the grip to look into the red eyes of Tobirama Senju.

“What?” She began but he cut her off.

“Where is my brother, I know who you are, I know you are in a henge, where is Hashirama?” He demanded of her.

“I haven’t seen him today, I last saw your brother for dinner last night, but not since. What has happened.” She backed away from him but he stepped forward into her space.

“He left this morning and I can’t find him, I thought he was with you.” Tobirama noticed she didn’t seem surprised he was Hashirama’s brother or by his appearance, which he knew startled some, he was an albino. She had seen him before.

“He is not with me, obviously, and I would appreciate it if you didn’t grab me from now on, it’s rude.” She narrowed her eyes at him. Hashirama’s brother or not, she wasn't going to let the albino push her around.

“What is your relationship with my brother?” He demanded not at all put off by her forward nature.

“It is none of your business, if he has not told you, I Will not.” She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to press her further.

“I can see why he likes you...but I don’t trust you.” He glared at her.

“I don’t care if you believe me or not, and I don’t like you!” She turned on her heel and walked back out onto the street, he followed.

“Stop following me!” she stopped in the middle of the market and glared at him her hands on her hips. People stopped around them watching.

“I can follow you if I want to.” Tobirama told her.

“Nice come back, your brother said you were smart, I guess he was wrong.” She smiled sweetly at him.

“Why you little.” Tobirama spun around sensing someone. “You!”

“Is there a problem Hana?” Izuna said from behind Tobirama.

Oh no, thought Shizuka, oh shit.

“No!” She stared wide eyed at Izuna, “No problem Izuna, please go, I’m fine.”

“Uchiha! You are with the Uchiha?” Tobirama sneered at her.

“She is! Get away from her!” Izuna drew his blade.

“No Izuna, Tobirama please, we are in the middle of the marketplace, you will hurt innocent people, do not draw them into your war!” She shouted at them. 

“Hana.” He continued to use her henge name. “Come here.” Izuna commanded.

“Don’t move or I will kill you where you stand.” Tobirama glared at her stepping sideways to keep them both in his sights.

“How dare you threaten me.” She pushed her sleeves up, setting her basket down. “Everyone leave unless you want to get caught up in a shinobi fight, get lost!” She yelled.

Civilians cleared the streets running every which way , away from the three shinobi.

Tobirama continued to sneer at her, “What can you do, a weak little girl like you, don’t make me laugh.”

Shizuka smiled sweetly at him.

“Hana, stay back, you can’t handle him, let me.” Izuna told her.

Before he could take a step, she lunged forward and punched the ground in front of Tobirama and the ground exploded in dirt and rock.

She grabbed Izuna and her basket and ran away from the market, away from the village.

“Suppress your chakra idiot, please.” She asked and told him. He did, as did she. She took him to her cave undoing the genjutsu as she stepped over the boundary dragging Izuna with her. She placed several more seals than normal on her home for insurance and motioned for Izuna to follow her releasing her henge.

“Shizuka, why was Tobirama Senju talking to you in the market?” Izuna asked her as they made their way into the cavern.

Before she could even start to think of how to answer him, Madara rose from his bench by the fire pit where he was roasting several fish for lunch.

“Izuna, what the fucking hell are you doing here? Shizuka, what the hell do you think you are doing bring him here of all places!” He was furious.

“Mada I.” She started.

“Tobirama Senju had her corned in the market brother! She slammed the ground with her fist and it exploded! Then she grabbed me and we ran! I wanted to fight him but she dragged me in here!” Izuna huffed, he was a little pissed too. He had wanted to fight that ugly smug bastard of a Senju, he hated Tobirama more than anyone and how dare the man grab at his water fairy...Madara’s friend.

“Tobirama cornered you in the market?” The surprise was clear in Madara’s voice. “But how did he.”

“He saw.” She said.

“When?” Madara asked.

“A few days ago I think. I saw him.” She said.

“Hn.” Madara frowned.

“Will Someone please tell me what the hell is going on?” Izuna said angrily glaring at Shizuka and Madara in turn.

Madara ignored his little brother and walked toward Shizuka. “Izuna, I need to speak with her alone, please wait here, I will be right back.” Madara took her to the far back of the cavern at the end of the underground forest.

“It has come, the whole of the clan met this morning, we prepare for end war, we leave in two days, it is the same for the Senju, the messenger confirmed our missive before I left to come here. I came here to tell you and expected Hashirama to be here too. I thought he would come to tell you and to see me. Have you seen him?” He asked her.

“No, that’s why Tobirama corned me in the market, he too thought Hashirama was with me and wanted to know where he was. You need to leave then, Izuna is here, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what to do with him. I knew he wouldn’t leave and I knew Tobirama would follow us, my dust wouldn’t keep him for long, it was pure surprise that allowed us to get away, I think. He looks strong.” She admitted.

“He is, but not as strong as me. We should leave before Hashirama comes, I am sure he will after he hears what his brother did. I will come to you tonight.” Madara said and walked back to his brother leaving her where she stood.

She watched him walk to his brother and they left. Izuna looked back at her once and waved, then followed his brother out of the cave.

Shizuna walked slowly to the fire to tend the fish.

Hashirama sat up on the cliff side above their cave and watched Izuna and Madara come out and cast a genjutsu around themselves removing them from sight. He dropped down from the cliff and cast the release dropping in front of the entrance to the cave and recasting a slightly weaker genjutsu.

She was by the fire tending fish when he entered. She turned to face him and he walked over to her, face grim, she looked back with the same expression. She knew, Madara had told her.

“Your brother corned me in the market today wondering where you were, did you find him?” She asked him before he could speak.

“Yes, just a moment ago, he won’t bother you again. I’m sorry. I can tell by your expression, Madara told you. The Senju and the Uchiha go to war in two days, to end the war for good.” 

“He told me. Hashi, I want to come. I need to come. I want to be there.” She spoke calmly.

“There is no way in hell I am going to let you come. What if my clan loses, His clan will kill you, and if our clan wins, my brother will kill you, he is convinced you are a spy for the Uchiha!” Hashirama wanted to pull his hair out, this was a damned mess.

“You expect me to sit here and wait, wait to see which one of my men dies? What if you both die? What then? We have had this talk before! I am going!.” She met him eye for an eye.

“Please Shizuka, if anything happened to you, Madara and I would never forgive ourselves. It is going to be a battlefield, I won’t be able to protect you, neither will he. Please, I am begging you, just stay here. I don’t want to have to think of you while I am fighting and worry if you are ok.”

“But you will fight your brother? Could you bring yourself to kill him? Kill Madara?” She asked him harshly.

“No, I would let him kill me first, which is why I haven't asked you to marry me, and why you must not be there when we fight.” Hashirama pleaded with her.

“Hashi.” She didn’t know what to say.

“Someone has to end this war. It is the only solution I can come up with. If I can give you to each other, I will.” He said quietly. “Please, stay home when the battle begins, do not come, do not try to stop or save us. Please.” He looked at her, tears in his eyes. “You both must live and be happy for me.”

She cried and ran to him. They fell to the ground crying into one another. Her nodding her head, him pleading over and over, while the fish burned to a crisp beside them.

Hashirama and Shizuka eventually released one another and hashirama left. He didn’t think he would be able to come back before the battle but he said he would try.

Madara came back that night as he had promised, late. She was already in bed when she felt him slip into the cave and into their house, down beside her on the futon.

She turned to him, arms out and he moved into them wrapping his around her, his face in her hair.

“I’m scared. I’m scared I’m going to lose one of you or both.” She told him in the dark.

He breathed in her scent through her hair. “I don’t want to fight him, I don’t want to fight any of them. I never wanted to.”

“Madara, please be careful, don’t let anyone else kill you. Hashirama, he said he would die by your hand to end the war when I asked him if he would be able to kill you. I ask you the same, will you really be able to kill Hashirama?”

“No.” He breathed out in not quite a sob. “Never.”

“But Madara.” She protested.

His mouth moved to cover hers, he didn’t want to talk about it anymore, there was nothing else to say. War was coming, nothing they said would matter, nothing they said would stop it. He needed her now, he wanted her to know how much he cared about her, in case, he never got another chance.

Madara moved on top of her, protecting her body from the night, from the rest of the world. He kissed her slowly, he wanted to remember the feel of her lips, her body under his when he stood on the field before the battle that was to come. One last moment of beauty, before the blood.

“Shizuka, I love you. I just never knew it, I’m sorry I never told you before now, and now it is too late.” His fingers were on her collar bone tracing the gold chain of the necklace Hashirama had given her, his other hand resting on her hip as he kissed her, gripping her gently.

“I love you both. I can not choose.” She could not tell him she loved him and only him, what if Hashirama died, she would feel the guilt for the rest of her days.

“Yet you are here with me, letting me kiss you. He is not here, I am here, and I love you.” He kissed her again, deeper.

“Madara, that isn’t fair.” She gasped out from behind his kiss.

“What about this is fair Shizuka,” he asked her leaning off of her onto his side, his hand still on her hip, his other hand behind her head now. He leaned over her kissing her, caressing her hip, squeezing it lightly. “Nothing is fair.”

His hand left her hip and ran it up her side and down again. He watched her face as he moved his hand over her body. “ Shizuka don’t leave the cave tomorrow or the next day. Do not try to find us or join us on the field.” His hand stilled on her stomach, he closed his eyes and breathed in deeply then out again and opened his eyes.

“My kekkei genkai,” His eyes bled red and his tomes spun.

She gasped. His eyes glowed red! “Madara, your eyes, they’re red!” She was so surprised.

“What, what does that, I mean what do they do?” She was fascinated.

“They allow me to see what others can not, I can copy any jutsu that has a hand sign, I can see through genjutsu others can’t, it is how Izuna found you, found us out. I can see an opponent's slightest gesture allowing me to predict their moves almost as fast as they decide they will move. It is the Uchiha clan's greatest strength, it is also what makes us the most hunted clan in all the nations. Your nightmare, where my eyes were gone, that is my nightmare too, that someone might steal my eyes and use them against my clan or for evil.”

“So, my nightmare, it could happen.” She whispered.

“That is why it startled me so much, you didn’t know about my kekkei genkai then, it was a very ominous dream indeed.” He said.

She looked to his eyes, his red glowing eyes. They suited him she thought. His long spiky dark hair, glowing beautiful red eyes, he was a strong shinobi, deserving of his title.

“I can also remember, record if you will, everything I see with my eyes. I want to remember this.” He bent down and kissed her again, running his lips across hers, his hand moving over her body again, up her side, finger trailing across her breasts.

She moved closer to him, his touch making her hot, she squirmed under his fingers.

“Madara stop.” She breathed out after he had cupped her breast in his hand and rubbed his thumb over her nipple.

“Are you sure?” He ran kisses over her cheek down her neck and sucked her skin just under her ear rolling his tongue in place over her pulse.

She didn’t answer, so he did it again and again.

“Stop.” She said again.

He stopped, but didn’t move away from her.

“I will stop. I won’t ask you for anything you don’t wish to give me.” He laid his head on the pillow next to hers and placed his hand gently over her tummy and around her waist pulling her to him. She turned into him like before and put her face in his hair, one hand on his chest and the other draped over his arm and around his back, and they fell asleep.

They woke the next morning , much in the same position, only Hashirama was on the other side, his arm slung over her hugging up to her back.

Madara had awoken when hashirama had come in that night and nodded to him as he stripped off his shirt and settled in beside Shizuka on the other side, Hashirama had nodded back and they had fallen asleep without words.

“I love you both so much.” Her voice seemed small between them.

“I love you too.” They told her.

“Be careful, if you can, I want you both to come back to me, promise me, promise you’ll try.”

“We promise.” They said together.

They dressed and left soon after, each giving her a kiss on the mouth and a hug.

Their eyes met and Hashirama spoke first.

“Next time we meet, it will not be as brothers, but for the love of the same woman, I swear I will not be the one to take your life, if you should die tomorrow, it will not be by my hand.” Hashirama held his hand out palm up, like so many years before.

“Let it be so, brother.” Madara put his hand in his, palm down and they clasped hands.

She stood there watching her men, tears slipping down her face. They turned and looked at her one last time, brown eyes and red. Then they left and she was alone.

Shizuka had spent her day in worry, barely able to read the scrolls on sealing she tried to read to take her mind off of tomorrow and had gone to bed early from emotional drain. She put her head in her pillow face first, it smelled of her men, Madara and Hashirama, her heart clenched. What will tomorrow bring, she turned over on her back, imagining them there with her, holding her in between then like last night, safe, warm. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep but sleep seemed impossible.

She knew neither one of them would come to her that night, the night before battle. She had put up a two layer genjutsu and several of her high level seals.

Sleep eventually found her but it was filled with screaming and blood, metal and mud. She dreamt herself on the battlefield with her men, she saw them clash sword with gunbai, a pained look in both men’s eyes. She watched as Tobirama and Izuna fought, unfettered by friendship, hate in their eyes. She saw Tobirama’s indecision before her flickered, she saw him suddenly in front of Izuna inside his guard and the blade pass through him as Izuna fell to the ground. Shizuka watched as Madara let out a horrific roar at the sight of his brother’s death turning to Tobirama and killing him with one blow to the head. She screamed as Hashirama flew at Madara after seeing Tobirama go down and stab him through the heart as Madara cut him through the middle with a short sword. Both her men fell to the ground dead.

She woke up screaming again, only this time there was no one there to comfort her.

Shizuka panted in the dark, crying till she couldn’t cry anymore. “ It was just a dream, just a dream, they were alive, they were all alive, just a dream.” She told herself over and over.

What if it wasn't. She got up and got dressed. There would be no more sleep for her that night.

She was out of the cave an hour before dawn. She knew where they were, chakra signatures flooded her senses as they gathered en mass on the field. She kept her chakra masked and sealed as an extra precaution. She did not want them to sense her much less someone who didn’t know her. Shizuka knew what she was doing was dangerous and against both of their wishes. She had agonized over the decision to leave for hours, but found herself strapping on her weapons before she realized she had made a decision to do so.

The two clans stood across from one another, she hid along the side near the middle in the forest. It had been no small task to get there, scouts from both sides had been swarming their sides of the battlefield trying to prevent someone from doing just what she had done. She sat in the tree and watched. She saw Madara first,standing next to a man that must be his father, with his long spiky hair and red armour the color of blood, his white gunbai on his back, a sword at his side. Then she saw Hashirama next to a man that must be his father, with his own red armour on , his weapons scroll on his back looking out across the field at Madara, long brown hair blowing in the wind.

Shizuka bit her lip as she waited. A single black crow flew down the middle in between the two armies, as though it was a signal, and maybe it was, as soon as the crow flew from field to forest the battle began.

Shinobi from both sides ran at full speed and clashed in the middle, some dodging, some flipping, others falling. Above the clash of metal she heard two men cry out to one another in hate.

“TOBIRAMA!” Izuna roared.

“IZUNA!” Tobirama roared.

Shizuka prepared herself, she would launch herself into the fray if she had to.

Madara had found Hashirama, they fought blow for blow, she watched but could tell their hearts weren’t really in it.

“Kill him!” The man who she had assumed was Madara’s father yelled at Madara.

“Why are you holding back!” The man she thought to be Hashirama’s father bellowed at Hashirama.

Madara blew a huge fireball at Hashirama, a signature of his clan, Hashirama dodged and summoned vines as thick as her arm to go shooting over Madara trying to ensnare him and trip him up, wood style.

“Amazing.” Shizuka watched her men fight. They had never used any telling jutsu when they had spared of course, she had never seen their true power. It was incredible!

It was then she saw them. Just like in her dream, Izuna was charging Tobirama, a look of indecision crossed Tobirama’s face…

She was out of the tree and running faster than she had ever ran before. Shizuka leapt over fighting clans men and landed in front of Izuna, right where Tobirama would appear, and he did, but not before Izuna had yelled, “Shizuka!”

Madara and Hashirama turned their heads to Izuna in horror, had he just yelled “Shizuka?”, they watched as Tobirama flickered in front of her and stabbed her through the chest missing Izuna, unable to stop, his eyes wide in recognition of the woman he had just stabbed in the chest. She fell to the ground, Tobirama’s blade sticking out of her chest, just to the left of her heart.

Tajima Uchiha had turned when he had heard the scream of a woman after his youngest son had yelled out a name in horror, Butsuma Senju had seen the opening and took it, cutting Tajima’s throat with a well placed kunai, but before Tajima could die, he returned the gesture with a kunai of his own to Butsumas’s heart, both men fell dead.

Shouts from both sides yelling out the deaths of the clan heads.

Madara and Hashirama ran to her as she hit the ground on her knees, sword straight through her chest, blood coming out of her mouth.

Izuna was by her side just as Tobirama dropped down in front of her, their hatred for one another forgotten. Madara and Hashirama knelt together one on either side of her.

“Shizuka” Madara groaned.

“Why?” Hashirama cried with tears in his eyes.

The clansman from both sides stopped fighting as they saw the new clan heads and their brothers kneeling before this pink haired woman in awe. It was as if time had stopped. For Madara and Hashirama, it had.

“Izuna, was going to die by Tobirama. This war...would never have ended...if that happened. I saw it. I saw it in a dream, just as…” She coughed up blood.” I saw your eyes taken from you Madara. Couldn’t” More blood. “Let that happen.”

“Hashi,” Madara looked to his friend, “Can you heal her?”

Hashirama grit his teeth, Tobirama always poisoned his blades, there would be no reason for him not to have done so before this one, particularly this one. Hashirama looked up to his brother and saw the answer on his face.

“The blade is poisoned, I can’t save her.” Hashirama choked out.

“This is your fault Senju!” Izuna spat at Tobirama.

“The blade was meant for you Uchiha!” Tobirama spat back. “I didn’t, I wouldn’t have hurt her brother,” He spoke to Hashirama, “I could see how important the woman was to you.”

Izuna’s eyes went wide, he looked at Madara, “I thought she was yours?”

“She was both of ours. She is our best friend, we both love her.” Madara said and Hashirama nodded.

“Boys.” Shizuka choked out. “End it, don’t let me die in vain. End this stupid war. Your fathers are dead, you are the clan heads, end it, before I die.” She fell over onto her side, the blade wouldn’t let her fall flat.

Madara looked at Hashirama, and they shook hands with both of their clans eyes upon them.

“Shizuka, I’m sorry.” Tobirama said looking down at the woman.

“Shh, it’s fine. Peace. Finally. Take this sword from my body.” She asked anyone who would comply.

Hashirama went to pull the sword from her but couldn’t quite bring himself to do it. Madara wrapped his hand around Hashirama’s and they pulled the sword from her together.

She died in their arms, one of her boys on either side of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued


	5. Team 7

Kaishi Chapter 4 Team 7

(((They refused to let her go.

Tobirama was trying to talk to Hashirama and tugging on his arm.

Izuna was doing the same with Madara, both their eyes bleeding bloody tears down their faces, they had activated their Mangekyo.

Both clansmen looked on in confused sadness, who was this woman that had both new clan heads mourning in such a way. Her pink hair, her green eyes, was she a goddess?

“You promised.” Hashirama sobbed into the woman’s hair.

“I love you so much.” Madara cried gripping her hand his face pressed to her shoulder.

Tobirama looked at Izuna. Izuna looked at Tobirama. Neither one of them were sure what to do.

Izuna spoke first.

“She must be cleaned and given a proper burial, my brothers.” Izuna said looking from the Senju brothers to Madara.

“We will see it done, together, as brothers.” Tobirama agreed.

Gasps were heard, but also words of anger rose and were shouted out.

Madara rose first then Hashirama.

“This, right now on this day, is the start of a new beginning for us all.” Madara spoke loudly and strongly.

“The Uchiha and Senju are at war no more, this woman, her sacrifice will not be in vain.” Hashirama’s voice rang out over the now still and silent feild.

“We will build a village, a new home for both of our clans, where we can raise our children in peace.” Madara told all who stood before him.

“We are the two strongest clans in all of the nations, we join together in peace for an even stronger future!” Hashirama bellowed.

“We will call this new village, The Village Hidden in The Leaves, we will fulfill a dream, a dream we all share.” Madara looked down Shizuka, her beautiful hair fluttering in the wind, and then back to Hashirama who stood beside him.

“Brother.” They said.)))

Sasuke woke with tears in his eyes. He remembered. “Naruto, Sakura.”

Today was their first day as genin with their new team and team leader Hatake Kakashi, the Copy Nin of Konoha.

“Konoha.” Sasuke whispered to himself as he got out of bed, the name he had chosen, when he had been Madara.

Sasuke got dressed and made his way to the kitchen where his mother had breakfast waiting for him.

He was 12 again.

He ate his rice and egg while his mother talked about how proud she was of him and how happy she was that he had a team of his own, how exciting it would be.

Exciting. Yes. He wondered if they remembered, did they too have a dream last night? Up until last night he had been Sasuke Uchiha, second born to Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, the head family and was born in a time of peace and prosperity. Now, he was Sasuke Uchiha, reincarnated Madara Uchiha Clan head, founder of Konoha, battle hardened, shinobi genius. He could feel his chakra reserves deepening as he ate, could recall the jutsu he had long forgotten. His fingers twitched for his GunBai. Where was his GunBai?

________________

Dazzling blue eyes and a whiskered face met him as he looked in the mirror. He gasped and fell back against the bathroom wall.

“What the hell?” Hashirama reached up to touch his face, only to watch the figure in the mirror do the same. Was it him? He looked down at his hands, his arms, his...small feet. He grouped his boy obsencely. He was what...12 years old? Oh right.

“I’m Naruto Uzumaki!” Hashirama remembered now, it hadn’t just been a dream. He was back but he was 12 and he wasn’t a Senju, but an Uzumaki. Mito, his wife, she had been an Uzumaki. He didn’t know if he was glad or disappointed he hadn’t been reincarnated into his own line rather than that of his former wife.

“Shizuka.” no, he shook his head. “Sakura now.” he smiled, “Sasuke!”,he ran from his bathroom and poured the heated water from his heater appliance over the instant ramen that would be his breakfast.

“Today is the beginning of a new day.” He couldn’t wait to see his old friends again.

_______________

Sasuke was in the classroom first, he had ran almost all the way there. Naruto came bursting through the door not long after he had sat down. Their eyes met and they smiled.

“Brother.” They said at the same time. 

Naruto ran to Sasuke and hugged him hard, Sasuke hugging him back.

“You remember?” Sasuke asked his best friend.

Tears streamed down Naruto’s face, “I remember.”

“Shizuka?” Naruto asked Sasuke.

“I don’t know, we will have to see.” Sasuke looked at the door. Naruto sat down beside him at the table and they both waited for the third person of their long time trio to appear.

They heard her before they saw her, and when they saw her she was stuck in the door hip to hip with Ino Yamanaka, long time rival in love...over Sasuke. They burst through the door squabbling and glaring at one another. 

Sakura looked up and saw Sasuke, “Sasuke!” She squealed and ran over to where he and Naruto were sitting.

Sasuke stood up and hugged her to him, “Sakura.” His voice came out choked.

Naruto jumped up from his seat and hugged them both, “Sakura.” His voice came out quiet, almost a whisper.

Sakura stood there in shock. Sasuke had hugged her on his own and he sounded...sad? Timid? Naruto was hugging both her and Sasuke and Sasuke didn’t seem to mind. Sasuke had his face in her neck and was squeezing her tighter, Naruto and moved to stand closer and hugged them both harder. It was like, they hadn’t seen her in ages, like they were much closer than they were, like...they knew something she didn’t.

“What’s going on? What is with you guys, Sasuke? Naruto? Are you guys ok?” She asked them as they slowly let her go.

The room had filled up by then and everyone was staring at them. Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look ignoring the others in the room.

“You, don’t remember?” Naruto asked her, he looked like he was going to cry.

“Remember what?’ Sakura asked confused by their odd behavior.

“Remember we all agreed to meet outside as a team before coming in today.” Sasuke interrupted Naruto before he could say anything, she didn’t remember it seemed only he and Hashirama remembered their past lives.

“We did? I think I would remember that.” She said, trying to recall.

“We did.” Sasuke told her. “Here” he pulled a chair out for her, “sit here in between us.” He gestured to the chair and she sat down. He smiled at her and sat in the chair next to her. Naruto sat on the other side.

Ino’s mouth hung open. “What the hell Sasuke, since when are you so nice to a loser like Forehead here?” She was scowling and had her hand on her hip.

Sasuke looked up from where he sat by Sakura and said, “She is not a loser, she is a better shinobi than you will ever hope to be, with your useless kekkei genkai mind transfer, it is worthless in battle, you are useless, don’t talk to me.”

Ino’s face turned red and her mouth hung open, she glared at Sakura like it was her fault and stomped away to the back of the room, not saying another word. Sakura slumped down into her seat, “great.”

“Sasuke, that was really mean of you, why would you say something like that to her?” Sakura was more curious than worried, he had defended her and had...really cut to the throat with his words toward Ino. He was acting differently.

“She shouldn’t insult you, she has no idea who you are, what you are capable of.” He took her hand in his as Naruto began to speak.

“Yeah but still Sasuke, a little less angst next time okay, I mean, we have to um, act normal right?” He looked nervously around the room where most of the others were still staring at them, many because of what Sasuke had said to Ino now.

Naruto took Sakura’s other hand in his and patted it but didn’t let go. “He is just having a bad day, you know how moody he can be sometimes.”

Did she? She supposed so. This was all too bizarre. Naruto and Sasuke were both holding her hand. Yes, neither of them had done that before but it didn’t feel...wrong. It was kinda nice she thought, so she didn’t pull her hand away, even though she heard the whispering cut across the room like wildfire. Let them whisper, Sasuke was finally paying attention to her and Naruto wasn’t as annoying as usual. Was it because they were a team now? She ducked her head and smiled to herself.

Iruka made a small speech once the class had settled down and left when more and more Jounin came for their teams. Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura were the last ones left.

“You can feel him right Naruto?” Sasuke whispered smirking slightly.

“Yeah, the whole time.” Naruto smiled. His senses had been getting better and better all morning, it was all coming back to him. He wondered if he could use his wood style, or if this body was too different than his old one. His fingers nearly itched in pain with anticipation.

“What are you two talking about?” Sakura asked them looking around.

“Send your chakra out in strings, see if you can sense anyone nearby Sakura.” Sasuke told her.

“Strings?” She said confused, how the hell do you do that, she thought to herself.

“Visualize your chakra, imagine it in the form of thin threads coming out of your chakra system and focus on compressing them down to thin thin threads, then send them out, like strings on water floating around you and try to focus in on anyone else's chakra signature.” Naruto went into a bit more detail to help her, after all she had been the best out of all of them as a sensor before, surely she could do it again.

She closed her eyes and did what Naruto and Sasuke told her, “There!” She pointed to the front of the classroom behind the clock on the wall. Wow, she thought, since when had Naruto gotten so...articulate?

Naruto and Sasuke smiled, “You got it.”

She could feel it, the chakra moving around her body, like it was alive and growing, flowing over her. She shivered. 

“It will be okay Sakura, we know.” Sasuke still held her hand, neither of them had let her hands go.

“Know what?” She asked, this whole day was just really...odd.

“That your chakra is returning, you’re getting stronger, your reserves are growing, can’t you feel it? You are more...aware?” Naruto asked her.

“I feel, something, I’m not sure what it is, it is like it is a liquid, cool and flowing over me.” She said slowly.

“Realization, you are coming to understand that things are changing, or reverting. We have a second chance.” Sasuke smiled at her with such a look of longing and love in his eyes, she had to look away, it embarrassed her.

“I don’t know what you mean.” She said.

Naruto squeezed her hand, “We can take it slow, we are here for you, always Sakura, we are a family, now.” He had it too, she thought, that look, of belonging, of love.

“Family?” She said. Did he mean because they were on a team now, that they were like family now?

Hatake Kakashi watched them from the small hole behind the face of the clock in the front of the classroom. Interesting he thought. He had read their files, had talked to the Third Hokage about them , his new team, but they didn’t seem to match up to what he had read in their files. This would be an interesting team he thought. Maybe it was worth leaving Anbu and getting reassigned. This might not be as boring as he had assumed.

The girl had looked right at him after her friends had told her how to sense him. How did they know how to sense him...natural talent? They had sensed him first, he knew, but she had done it just by them telling her how. Amazing. Were they three little geniuses? It had been his understanding they had been given to him because Sasuke was somewhat of a hot head but strong an Uchiha and he himself had a sharingan, Naruto was the Nine Tails Jinchuriki and the son of his own Sensei and the girl, he had assumed she was thrown in for balance, but she was much more than he had expected.

Their files had said they went to the academy together, not that they were close friends, almost family. Their behavior toward one another didn’t add up, surely someone would have noticed such a close bond. The hugging, the hand holding, the emotion in their eyes, mostly the boys. Yes, Kakashi thought, he liked his new team and hoped they passed his test. “Better get out there then.”

All three looked to the door as it opened and a man with white gravity defying hair, headband covering one eye, walked in. He gave them an eye crinkle and told them to meet him on the roof, then poof, he was gone.

Naruto and Sasuke let go of Sakura’s hand for the first time since they had first sat down and they walked to the roof together. Kakashi was sitting on the rail watching them.

They move together, one boy on either side of the girl, protecting her? He wasn't sure, but definitely keeping her close. He smiled under his mask, they would make a good team. He wouldn’t have to teach them teamwork or to look out for one another.

“I am Hatake Kakashi, and you are my new Genin, we will be Team 7, or Team Kakashi. Why don’t you introduce yourselves, clearly you know one another but I’m afraid I only had a file to go off of. I want to hear from you. Who are you. You, on the end.” He pointed to Naruto.

“I guess I’m Uzumaki Naruto. I am an orphan here and live alone but I’m not alone really. I have my friends. I used to want to be Hokage but.” He laughed then and so did Sasuke. “Now I think I just want to focus on protecting the village and spending time with the people I love.” He looked over at Sasuke and Sakura who smiled back at him. Sasuke more than Sakura.

What an odd group of kids, Kakashi thought, they don’t talk like children.

“And you?” Kakashi pointed to Sakura.

“I’m Haruno Sakura, um...I am a civilian born but I want to be a shinobi, um I do well on tests and can retain information well if I read it.” She ended lamely.

“You are a shinobi Sakura, we are Genin.” Sasuke patted her on the back supportively. Then turned to Kakashi.

“I am Sasuke Uchiha, second son of the main Uchiha clan. I will protect this village because I believe in the teachings of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. I will protect what I love this time.” He looked to Naruto who smiled back and then they both looked at Sakura and smiled.

“Yeah!” Naruto chimed in.

Interesting, Kakashi thought, and what did the boy mean by , “This time.” ?

“Well, let’s meet tomorrow morning at dawn by training ground 9, for a bit of survival testing.” He told them.

“Didn’t we do that at the academy though, I mean aren’t we going to do a mission Sensei?” Sakura frowned.

“This is a survival test like none you have had before. If you fail, I will send you back to the academy.” Kakashi waved to them and disappeared.

“Well, that was...different.” Naruto said.

“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning.” Sakura said standing up. She hesitated. She wanted to ask them what was different, why they were different today but she didn’t. She held back and she didn’t know why. She felt off herself. Different.

“Unless, you want to um, go train together with us I mean.” Naruto looked at Sasuke who nodded.

They made their way to the training ground that was used for target practice. No one was there so they each took out their own set of kunai and started throwing. This was what they had done at the academy many times and it got boring.

“Lets try calling them out, let’s move them.” Sasuke started toward the targets taking them from their posts and he hung one on a nearby tree and took a pen from his shirt, wrote no.1 on it.

“Call them out?” Sakura asked, she hadn’t heard of that before.

Sasuke smiled at her, “It’s when you hang targets in different locations and a teammate or friend calls the numbers out at random and you run and hit the targets in the order they are called out to you. I’m sure you have done it before.”

She hadn’t.

“Let me help.” Naruto took some of the targets from Sasuke and hung them at random while Sasuke numbered them. Naruto paused with the last target and back tracked a little and hung it behind a tree. Sasuke smiled as he numbered it.

“Okay Sakura you go first love.” Sasuke smiled at her.

“Love?” She raised an eyebrow at him, she looked just like she used to when she would do that and he smiled, he couldn’t help it.

“Uh, a nickname.” He smiled again.

She could get used to this new smiling Sasuke. She smiled back at him, “Ok.”

“Hash, er Naruto! Call em’ out to her!” Sasuke yelled to Naruto who had moved to the end of the line of trees.

“3” Naruto called out

“2”

“1” 

“5”

“8”

“7”

“6” and finally he called out to her.

She had hit all but one, the one behind the tree, just like last time, the first time Madara had carved the targets and hung them for her.

“Again!” Sasuke called to her.

Three more tries and she got them all, even the one behind the tree, just like before.

Naruto and Sasuke stood by one another as she gathered the kunai from the targets.

“It’s the same no?” Naruto said.

“She is.” Sasuke was watching her.

“It’s like we have a second chance you know? We can do it right this time, we won’t let her die this time, there is no war, she won’t get killed because of our war.” Naruto was happy.

“No war, no, not yet, who knows what the future will bring but yes a second chance. You feel it don’t you? Our chakra, our strength, returning?” Sasuke asked him

“Yeah, I was thinking, I wonder if I can use my wood release, I mean, it is a different body , you’re an Uchiha still so it might be easier for you to get back all your strength.” Naruto said.

“Try it, something small.” Sasuke suggested.

Naruto closed his eyes and focused on the earth and the water and wind around him. He held his hand out over the ground and a very small little flower popped up and bloomed.

“Excellent!” Naruto said. It had been a lot harder than he was used to, he had to focus more. Did this new body not have earth and water affinity, it seemed as though he had to draw the energy from the earth, not like before when he drew it from within his own chakra.

“I’m glad for you.” Sasuke patted his friend on the shoulder.

Naruto bent over and picked the flower, walked over to Sakura who was cleaning off her kunai and gave it to her. She smiled and took the flower hugging Naruto.

Sakura left soon after saying she had to get home, her mom would be expecting her. She held the flower in her hand as she left.

“You married Mito remember, before. I never married. I never loved anyone but her, you know that. This is our second chance Hashi.” Sasuke told Naruto.

“I married Mito because Shizuka died to make peace, not because I stopped loving her. We both have a second chance, let her choose like she never could before, like she never had time to do before.” Naruto said, so it had been on his mind too, Naruto thought.

The two nodded in agreement.

Sasuke walked home to the Uchiha compound thinking. She had chosen though hadn’t she? She had chosen to sleep wrapped up in his arms twice and he knew, he knew that Hashirama had never slept with her like that, had never kissed her like that...had never touched her. In his mind, she had chosen Madara, him, and she would again. Sasuke smiled as he opened the door to his house and went inside.

Naruto lay on his bed at home thinking. He had married yes, but he had never stopped loving Shizuka. Mito was wonderful, she had been his wife and he had cared for her greatly, but she had not been Shizuka. No one could replace her. This time, it would be different.

Sakura sat on her bed and looked out the window in her room. What an odd day. Her body felt weird too, like it was, pulsating with energy...chakra?. She tried to focus on the flow moving within her, she closed her eyes and willed her chakra around her body , she opened her eyes. Her hands were glowing green. She gasped and clenched her fists, it felt, strong, powerful. She jumped up from her bed excited and ran to the mirror over her dresser, fingers gripping the edge as she leaned into the mirror looking for any differences as she move the chakra around her body again.

She sighed and stepped back, only then noticing on the edge of her dresser...her fingers had left indents in the wood...from her chakra? 

“Whoa.” She said and sat back down on her bed. She went to her closet and dug out all the scrolls she had on chakra control and began to read.

Morning came to find the three of them at the training ground but no Sensei.

“Where the heck is he?” Naruto whined.

“Let’s spar while we wait.” Sasuke suggested. “Sakura? Wanna spar with us?”

“Thanks but I want to try some things, I was reading some scrolls on chakra control last night and want to work on something.” She smiled at them.

“Okay.” Sasuke smiled at her wondering if it was starting to come back to her yet. He hoped so. He and Naruto walked a little ways away from her and squared off, exchanging kicks and hits to warm up.

Sakura brought out one of the scrolls she had read last night, went over the process in her head and focused her chakra into her hands. She stepped up to the rock she had picked out for this purpose and slammed her fist into it, it exploded into dust and pieces. She grinned to herself.

She put the scroll away but pulled out another. She re-read her tabbed off section from last night and focused her chakra to her hands again. When they glowed green she took a kunai from her pouch and made a small cut on her arm, blood welled up around the cut and she placed her hand over the cut driving her chakra into the small wound, healing it slowly. She grinned and looked around, no one had noticed. The boys were picking up speed running at one another deflecting hit after hit faster than she could keep track with her eyes.

She stopped and stared, had they always been that fast? She put her medical scroll away and pulled out a scroll on sealing. She just wanted to check one thing, she had an idea, but she didn’t know if it was possible. She set the scroll down and tried to map out her chakra network by feel. She closed her eyes and focused, there was a push and a pull to the system, carefully and with a little difficulty she switched the flow of her chakra from its original natural order and made the hand signs of sealing. She collapsed to the ground.

“Shizuka!” Naruto called out to her.

“Sakura!” Sasuke had yelled, running to her.

Sakura woke up in Sasuke’s arms. He had caught her before she had hit the ground. She sat up and tried to push off of him but he held her firm.

“What were you doing?” He asked her looking at the sealing scroll on the ground.

“I was training, or more like trying something out, I think I’m onto something. I might have just figured out how to make a new jutsu.” She smiled a little at his expression.

“Really?” He asked.

“Yes, I think I need to combine it with another jutsu first though, I’m not sure. It needs balance, I think that’s why I passed out.” She shook her head a bit.

“Here.” Naruto handed her a flask of water to drink.

“Thanks Naruto.” She sat up in Sasuke’s lap and took a few sips of water.

“I want to try it again, you guys go back to sparring, you looked amazing, when did you get so fast?” She looked from one to the other.

“Um, something just released in my body last night and, I feel, more like, like I am a stronger version of myself trapped in a smaller body.” Naruto told her cryptically.

“I have been having dreams that um are inspiring me to push myself. My chakra levels are growing I think.” Sasuke was looking at her in a strange way as if he was expecting her to say something.

She had a dream last night too, it is what made her add all the scrolls to her bag before leaving her house today. She had dreamt she was a healer with monstrous strength who lived in a cave. It was a beautiful dream but it was just a dream. She did however think the idea of focusing and using one's chakra as a weapon of infused strength was a feasible and worthwhile idea. Upon waking she had taken it a step further, what if she could use her chakra to heal, or to create a seal to store more chakra to use as insurance in a battle to be released at a time of her choosing. If it were possible, she would find a way. She had been inspired too and she smiled at Sasuke.

“I smashed that rock with my chakra.” She pointed to the rock which was now a pile of rubble.

“She’s back!” Naruto pumped the air with his fist.

“Back?” Sakura asked.

“You know how you used to be Shizuka.” Naruto told her.

“She doesn’t know Naruto, she doesn’t seem to remember like we do.” Sasuke warned his friend.

“Shizuka? Like from the founding father’s time? The woman who stopped the war between the Uchiha and the Senju?” She laughed at them.

“Yeah.” Said Naruto, glaring at Sasuke,” Why can’t we tell her, maybe it would help?”

“Or it might do more damage!” Sasuke argue back.

“What the hell are you to blabbering about!” Sakura stomped her foot and made a small crater. “Whoa.”

“See! She’s back. You can pick up boulders and rip huge trees out of the ground too.” Naruto pointed out to her in case she didn’t know. Which she didn’t.

“I can?” She asked him, thinking about it for a moment. In theory, if she infused her hands and arms with enough chakra...why not? She walked over to a decent sized tree and infused her hands and arms with chakra. She wrapped her arms around the tree and started to pull up on it. It took quite a bit of effort, but...she did it and then dropped back onto the ground with a tremendous thud.

“I can’t believe it, I did it.” She stared at the tree, then to the boys.

“You can do a lot more than that Sakura.” They smiled at her.

“Tell me.” She told them, so they did.

Her eyes were wide, her mouth hung open. They both sat there in front of her looking at her. 

“This is a lot to take in. You’re saying I am a reincarnation of the woman Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju loved, that ended the war? The woman who died saving Izuna Uchiha from dying by Tobirama Senju’s hand?” She looked at them like they were crazy.

“Yes.” Sasuke said. “I am the reincarnation of Madara and Naruto is the reincarnation of Hashirama.”

“We used to live in a cave, with a waterfall and an underground forest we.” Naruto gasped as Sakura put her hands to her head as if she were in pain.

“Stop , stop please. That is impossible.” She was shaking her head back and forth. The cave in her dream, the waterfall, the underground forest, it was a coincidence, she wanted to believe it but even that theory was impossible. “A small house with three futons one pressed up against the other.” She whispered and looked up.

“The free falling waterfall into the pool big enough for three us us, you used to bathe in it during the winter.” Sasuke told her and she gasped.

“You would sell medical slaves to the hospital in the nearby village.” Naruto piped in.

“Your parents were murdered and your house burnt down, that night I carried you to our cave, and you had lived there till you died, in our clans’ stupid war, and we lost you until now.” Sasuke told her, eyes willing her to remember.

“My parents were murdered?” She frowned, it was a dream. 

“I can see it in your eyes, this makes sense to you, you have seen the things we say, there is recognition in your eyes Sakura.” Naruto said.

“I had a dream last night about a cave.” She said slowly.

“Our cave.” Sasuke told her. “All three of us would spend hours there, training, eating together, spending time with one another, sleeping together.”

“It seems so ridiculous, it was just a dream.” She looked up at them, eyes defiant.

Sasuke would be the first to admit it, it hurt. He could tell by the look in Naruo’s eyes he felt the same. They both wanted her to remember but they couldn’t force it.

“How would we know Sakura, how would we know what you dream of, you never told us.” Naruto said quietly, “And have you ever heard of three people having the same dream?” He asked her seriously.

“No.” She admitted. “But it doesn’t mean that is the only explanation.”

“Maybe there is someone you love that you are leaving behind because you refuse to believe what your heart is telling you now.” Sasuke said quietly, sadly.

Naruto looked at his friend. Yes, this hurt. He looked at Sakura. He could tell she was confused and possibly at war with herself. This was just a difficult situation.

“There is time. No need to rush like you said Sasuke. Maybe she will remember with time.” Naruto tried to say it calmly but it came out choked.

“I don’t know why we remember and you don’t, but maybe you just need more time than us. We can wait.” Sasuke was trying. He smiled and walked over to her and kissed her mouth.

Her eyes went wide, his lips, she...no, she shut her eyes, a flash of a man with spiky hair lay on top of her, but she was older, and she couldn’t see his face, but he had been kissing her, on the last futon of three that had been pushed together. She shook her head violently dispelling the image.

She felt him before she saw him and immediately stepped closer to Sasuke and Naruto stepped closer to her, they turned as one and saw Kakashi jump down from a tree branch overhead.

“Yo.” He smiled at them with only his eyes crinkling at them. “Sorry I’m late but a black cat crossed my path so I had to go back all the way around again, you understand right?” They stared at him, lost each in their own thoughts.

Kakashi watched them silently. He had heard part of their conversation, he had noticed when Sakura had sensed him first, then Sasuke, then Naruto. He had watched as they had moved closer to one another forming a solid wall of defense as though they had done it a thousand times before.

They stood there, grouped close together looking at him, like he was an outsider. Maybe he was, Kakashi thought.

“We're going to do a little survival training today” He told them holding up a set of bells. “You have three hours to get these bells from me, you can use any jutsu any force you think nessecasy, who ever doesn’t get a bell goes back to the academy. Understand?” 

They nodded.

“Go!” Kakashi said.

Sasuke moved first and made the hand signs for a fireball that Kakashi dodged. Naruto thought, no time like the present to give it a try, he made the hand signs for the shadow clone jutsu his brother Tobirama had taught him in his other life. 15 Narutos sprang up around him in puffs of smoke, and held Kakashi in place, or tried to.

Sakura stood there for a moment, she had never seen them use these kinds of moves at the academy, was it true, if it was then in theory...she infused her fist with chakra and smashed it into the ground revealing Kakashi holding onto one of the huge shards of Earth she had displaced, his clone disappearing in a puff of smoke above ground. Sasuke, ran at top speed and grabbed the bells tossing one to Sakura, who used her chakra to breakit in half, throwing half to Naruto, before Kakashi could free himself from the pile of shattered Earth.

“Well, I think that was more like three minutes...Sensei.” Naruto dangled the ½ bell in his face then hopped away to Sakura and Sasuke who were both grinning at him.

“I told you Sakura, you’re back.” Naruto smiled at her.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, I admit something is going on but what you’re saying is just, I don’t know if I can believe that yet.” She was still smiling though.

“Take your time Sakura, we’ll be here for you. We always are.” Sasuke smiled at her and clapped Naruto on his back.

Kakashi had crawled out of the rubble while they had been talking.

“What can’t you believe Sakura?” Kakashi asked her, his eye crinkled in a smile like fashion.

“Nothing Sensei, just something silly, among friends.” She looked to Naruto and Sasuke who both nodded to her. It was their little secret, for now.

Kakashi saw their interaction and wondered just who his little Genin really were. He knew a few things already though, they weren’t normal, they had a pre-existing bond no one knew about, their strength in jutsu was Chunin level at least, and their chakra levels were insane for Genin. Did anyone else know? Why hadn’t their files been updated? Why hadn’t anyone told him. The most logical answer, no one knew.

“You all pass. Meet me at the Hokage tower tomorrow morning for our first official mission. Dismissed. Oh Sakura can I see you for a moment please?” Kakashi asked her.

Sakura walked over to Kakashi, but when Kakashi noticed Naruto and Sasuke hadn’t left but were waiting for her he told them to go on ahead of her, it would only take a moment.

“We’ll wait.” Sasuke had told him and Naruto nodded, both of them looking at him suspiciously.

What the hell? Kakashi said to himself. Sakura smiled at him as if apologetically.

“Uh, Sakura, I wanted to ask you, where did you learn how to infuse your Taijutsu with chakra? Who is your mentor, maybe you should be on their Team.” Kakashi asked her.

“I learned from a scroll, I have no mentor, I am civilian born, Sensei.” She told him.

“You learned how to punch a hole in the earth like that from a scroll?” He motioned toward the shattered upheaval of earth beside them eyes slightly widened.

Sasuke and Naruto smirked as his eyes passed over them and Sakura smiled. “Yes.” She told him, “This one.” She pulled the scroll on chakra control out of her bag and handed it to him.

Kakashi opened the scroll and skimmed it. You would have to have perfect understanding of how the chakra in your body worked and flowed to perform such perfect chakra control that she displayed to him just moments ago. He whistled appreciatively, “I am impressed and amazed Sakura.” He handed her scroll back to her.

“Thank you Sensei, I wasn't sure I could do it but, I felt like I could so I tried and it worked. “ She smiled proud of herself.

“You mean”, Kakashi looked at her carefuly, “That was the first time you tried it and it worked?” He was amazed indeed.

“Yes.” She said.

Kakashi looked at Naruto and Sasuke again, they were still smirking at him the little brats.

“Uh thank you Sakura, see you tomorrow morning for our mission at the Hokage Tower.”

“Bye Sensei.” She walked back over to Sasuke and Naruto, who each touched her arm or shoulder in some way as a reassurance or congratulations he didn’t know. 

“Everything okay Sakura?” Naruto asked her.

“Yes, he just wanted to know who my mentor was. I told him I didn’t have one, that I learned from the scrolls.” She told them.

“You always were kind of a genius.” Sasuke grinned at her.

“It is so strange seeing you grin like that, seeing you laugh and smile so much, and you Naruto, you’re different now too. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I’m not stupid. I know we are all different, I just don’t know why.” She smiled nonetheless and walked away from the training rounds with her boys.

“We should go back to the cave, together. Tonight.” Naruto told them as they walked down the street to the library for Sakura.

“It must still be there, the last time we were there, was terrible. We should go, all of us. I think it is important we all return together.” Sasuke said.

“Why was it terrible?” She asked tem.

Sasuke and Naruto stopped walking so she stopped too and looked at them. Greif lined their eyes and mouths. They looked like they were torn.

“We had just buried you Shizuka. You had died the day before and we had just put your body to rest in the Earth, in our cave, that was ours.” Naruto said and sniffed.

“You mean...I’m , it’s still there?” She looked aghast at the prospect.

“Yes. We all are, well, there is a headstone for Hashirama but his body isn’t there, as Hokage it wasn’t allowed. We are though. I would visit you now and then, sit beside your grave and just talk to you about my day, tell you how the village was coming along, ask your opinion on things. This was our dream, Konoha, it was the dream we all shared, it” Sasuke paused, “It didn’t seem right not to include you even if, even if you were dead.” His face scrunched up as if he were in pain.

“Oh, um, thank you.” She said.

“I visited you too, I would bring you flowers and sit and talk with you. Sometimes we would sit and talk with you together and joke and laugh but it wasn't the same without you.” Naruto said.

“Izuna came once, and so did Tobirama. Tobirama apologized, it was his strike that killed you. You saved my little brother’s life. You saved all of us.” Sasuke said.

“How come I don’t remember?” She frowned. It didn’t seem fair, they remembered but she didn't, and they were in pain and she could tell they weren’t lying or faking this. They really believed it.

“Maybe if we go to the cave you will?” Naruto said hopefully.

“I sealed it before I died. I had Izuna go with me and we sealed it with powerful seals Mito showed us how to cast, it should still be there, safe. We did everything we could Sakura, to keep you safe. I’m sorry.” Sasuke said.

“I’m sorry too, we never wanted you to die for us.” Naruto sighed.

“I don’t know what to say, this is kinda, I mean I don’t remember any of this. I had a dream about the cave but it is just a dream to me, maybe if we go, maybe Naruto is right, maybe it will help.” She confessed she was curious and if it was real, she did want to believe. “So, tonight?”

“I’ll come get you.” Sasuke said. They were outside of the library now.

“I’ll see you guys later then? I’m not a big reader. Sasuke don’t let her out of your sight, in case she disappears haha.” It was only a half joke on Naruto’s part.

“Don’t worry Naruto I’m fine.” Sakura smiled at him.

Sasuke and Sakura went inside the library. She wanted to find more scrolls on seals and chakra control if possible and maybe some medical jutsu scrolls.

Two hours later she left with a backpack full of medical, sealing and chakra control scrolls.

Sakura had explained to him what she was doing or trying to figure out and he thought it was a great idea.

“Want to get something to eat?” He asked her when they reached the market.

“Sure, tempura?” She asked him.

“I knew you would pick that, or dumplings, those were always your favorite.” he smiled at her and she blushed.

“Can you guess mine? Just for fun?” He asked her.

“Um,” She had no idea, “ Inarizushi?” She guessed.

He stopped and stared at her, then his whole face broke into a grin, “Yes. You remembered.” he took her hand in his and her backpack from her and put it over his shoulder to carry it for her.

They ordered their tempura from a stand and waited for their food to be prepared.

“Want to go to the cliffs to eat?” Sasuke asked her, still holding her hand.

“That sounds nice Sasuke.” She smiled, this was nice she thought, it was relaxing to be with him, natural. She could hardly believe what an idiot she had been over him before and how she had acted, it was embarrassing. If he remembered he didn’t show it, he acted like they had always been like this with one another, holding hands, eating together, walking together. Then again, maybe they had. Perhaps the person she was before, was the illusion, and this Sakura, the one holding his hand, was the real her.

“Your food is ready! Thank you for ordering come again!” The woman behind the counter called to them and she picked up the bag of food and carried it so Sasuke could keep her hand in his. They walked up the stairs built into the side of the cliff to the top and sat down on top of the First Hokage’s head.

“Why weren’t you Hokage after Hashirama, if you were still such good friends, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t take the position instead of Tobirama.” Sakura asked him.

“I refused to marry.” He told her. “They wanted me to marry to be Hokage, image they said, must be maintained. The Uchiha elders also thought I should marry but I refused.” He said pulling out a piece of tempura and biting into the crispy goodness. “Izuna could carry on the main line, there was no need.”

“Why did you refuse to marry?” She asked.

He smiled at her ruefully. “I have only ever loved one woman, I didn’t even know I was in love, until it was too late. I could never have married someone knowing I would never love them.” Sasuke looked out over the village and sighed.

“There was no one else that could come close to you, your intelligence, your beauty, your fire...you had the most explosive temper woman! I loved it. I could never love anyone but you.” He said simply as though she ought to have known...and maybe she should have because it didn’t seem to surprise her as much as she thought it should. It wasn't the boy next to her though, he spoke like a man, a man desperately in love with a woman who was dead and gone. Was it really her?

A calm silence fell over them. They finished eating quietly and sat together hand in hand looking out over their village. She sensed someone, two people approaching fast. She jumped to her feet just as two masked nin dropped down in front of them. Sasuke stood by her side and took her hand again.

“Itachi, Shisui, how was your mission?” Sasuke asked them.

“You know we can’t talk about it, and you know you should not call us by our names in front of others.” Weasel mask spoke quietly to Sasuke.

“This is my best friend and teammate, I trust her.” Sasuke said.

“But I do not trust her.” Weasel mask said his eyes bled red and turned to Sakura who raised her eyebrow at him in defiance.

Weasel Masked hummed.

Mongoose Mask busted out laughing. “I like her, what’s your name?” He asked her.

“Her name is Sakura.” Sasuke told him.

“Can she not speak for herself?” Mongoose teased.

“I can, but he seems to be doing just fine.” Sakura said smiling at Sasuke.

“So he is.” Weasel Mask said pointing to their joined hands.

Mongoose laughed again.

“We need to hand in our report, let’s go.” Weasel Mask said and disappeared followed by a waving Mongoose.

“That was my older brother Itachi and our cousin Shisui.” Sasuke told her. “It is odd now, that I remember, Itachi is the clan heir, not me, he will be the clan head, not me. It is freeing in a way. I feel like I can enjoy life more this time around.” He smiled at her.

Sakura was anxious to start reading her scrolls but she didn’t want to tell Sasuke to go away. “Did you want to come home with me, I want to start reading these scrolls and work on my jutsu but I would really like it if you came with me, it will be boring for you I’m sure but if you wanted to?” She left it open so he could decline politely if he wanted.

“I would love to but I should probably go home. I want to make sure I can get out tonight and go with you and Naruto to our cave.” He squeezed her hand. “It is so good to have you back, you have no idea how lost we were without you. We can talk about that tonight though. I’ll walk you home.”


	6. Home Again

Kaishi Chapter Home Again

Sasuke came for her at midnight. She had been reading the scrolls from the library on her bed with her window open. She felt him before he stepped through her window. She smiled, he really was a good looking guy, his pale skin smooth and flawless, his eyes as dark as the night surrounding him. He smiled at her and she blushed. 

“Ready love?” He asked her.

She rolled the scroll up and set it on her night stand,” Ready Sasuke.” and took the hand he held out to her.

They ran through the trees of Konoha forest to the wall of the village, chakra suppressed and hopped over the wall. They made their way quickly to the river and stopped by a large rock. Naruto was there waiting for them.

“It feels so strange, being here again, it seems like it was yesterday we were burying you here and walking away.” Naruto tells Sakura.

“I never thought we would return here, with you. Never.” Tears slipped down his face.

“I wish I could remember. I’m sorry.” She felt like it was her fault somehow, she felt guilty for their sadness, she knew it wasn’t her fault but to see them like this...it had to be real.

“Where is it?” She looked around but didn’t see a cave.

“Here.” Sasuke led her to the border of the seals he had put up two generations ago.

A small stone, carved in the shape of a cherry blossom, lay embedded in the ground at her feet, a small paper seal with intricate writing on top.

“Thank kami, it survived. Mito said it would but I still worried.” He bit his thumb and pressed a drop of blood to the seal and it floated off into the air a little above the stone. He caught it in his hand and the air shimmered around them. They could see the trail now, leading to the mouth of a cave in the cliffside.

“Oh my.” Sakura whispered. “It’s true.” A little part of her still doubted, the logical part of her brain had been split. She couldn’t ignore the facts, the changes in Sasuke and Naruto, their abilities, her new abilities, but she had to admit, she had still doubted. She couldn’t deny it anymore though, here it was looking her right in the face.

Sasuke walked over the small line of stones and motioned them through. After Naruto had stepped over the stones last Sasuke bent and reapplied the seal with his blood.

“When we leave, we will all add our blood, so any of us can come and go...like we used to.” He turned to Sakura, “Welcome home love.” 

They walked to the mouth of the cave together, hesitating slightly. She could feel them next to her trembling, with...anticipation? Happiness? She didn’t know. She looked down and saw her hands were trembling too. They all held hands and walked into the cave that opened up into a huge vast cavern...just like in her dream.

“We’re back.” Naruto cried, tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked at his friends.

“We’re back.” Sasuke said and his lip quivered.

“It is so beautiful.” Sakura looked around the cavern.

“Come.” Sasuke pulled her by the hand to the house they had all shared long ago.

Everything was dusty ofcourse. A small table and chairs were in the kitchen, a long counter ran along one wall. The open floor plan showed the futons lined up next to one another on their wooden platforms. Something tugged at the back of her mind.

She walked over to the futon on the end and patted it, dust rose around her hand and she sneezed. “This one was mine right?” She turned to them and they nodded.

She pulled the mattress up and reached under the wooden platform and pulled out three scrolls. “These were mine. I remember putting them there. They are my handwritten ones on sealing my chakra to use as a second reserve.” She said in awe like she couldn’t believe it.

“I remember this but, how come I don’t remember other things?” She was a little disappointed, she had hoped being here, if it had been true, that she would get her memories back right away like Sasuke and Naruto had. It didn’t seem to be the case though.

“Maybe, you just need more time. You did remember that you put those scrolls there, it is a start.” Sasuke said hopeful and Naruto nodded.

“I want to remember.” She whispered, looking around the small house. She went to the kitchen, and picked up cups and bowls turning them over in her hands trying to remember. “I lived here?”

“Yes.” Naruto told her. “Your house was burned down in the village and your parents had been killed, the people responsible were looking for you, this was the safest place for you. It had been our place, before your parent’s murders, it only made sense that you would stay here.”

They went back outside into the cavern and Sasuke showed her the targets he had carved for her to train her with kunai and she laughed, “So, I had done it before.” She smiled at them.

“Yes, right down to missing the one behind the tree, just like last time.” They laughed.

“Almost.” Naruto grinned at them. “This time, we don’t have to hide who we are from one another.” He looked at Sasuke.

“Yeah, now we are on the same side.” Sasuke smiled at his friend.

“Yeah, I can do things like this!’ Naruto raised his hands and a picnic table made of wood and vines popped up out of the ground near the outside fire pit. “I don’t have to hide my wood release now!” He grinned at them.

“Wow!” Sakura covered her mouth with her hands. “This is real! You’re! You’re really the reincarnation of Hashirama!” She was amazed.

“Yeah!” Naruto smiled at her.

“But.” She frowned. “We can’t just go around telling people that can we?” She looked at her boys. “I mean, think of what people will say...Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju come back to life as 12 year old Genin? Even I am having a hard time understanding it and I am standing here in this cave with the reminders of a life I am trying really hard to remember but can’t.” She was so frustrated.

“You will Sakura.” Naruto hugged her.

“We should keep this a secret, between us, like before, our lives, our abilities, this place.” Sasuke said walking to the far end of the cavern, behind the forest. “Here Sakura, this is your grave...and mine. There is Hashirama’s headstone, a remembrance. All of us here together, in our place.”

She bent down to her headstone. “Haruno Shizuka, Hero of the Last war of the Clans Senju and Uchiha, beloved friend of Madara clan head of the Uchiha, beloved friend of Hashirama clan head of the Senju.”

“Hero of the last war?” She said. This had been her?

“You stopped the blood shed between out clans, Konoha was a dream come true only because you sacrificed yourself, for us.” Naruto said holding her other hand.

“Madara.” She said. “Hashirama.” Tears fell down her face and dripped from her chin. “My boys.”

“Yea, that’s us.” Naruto said as he looked at his own headstone on the other side of hers.

“So what now?” She asked.

“Maybe we should clean this place up? The house I mean. We didn’t want to make changes before, not without you, we wanted to keep it the same as when you were here, to remember you. But you’re here now. Let’s make this place ours again?” Sasuke said looking at his friends for their opinion.

“Yeah.” Sakura and Naruto said and they smiled at one another.

“But shouldn’t we do it tomorrow? We have our first mission as Team 7 in the morning. After?” She said.

“Yeah, let’s seal the cave and go home for now, we can come back after the mission tomorrow.” Sasuke said.

They stood side by side as Sasuke made the hand signs and painted the characters on them. He knicked her fingers and his again dropping a spot of blood from each of them onto the original seal and placed the seal back on the Sakura stone. He made the sealing signs and the words flowed from each of them back into the paper seal and it was done.

“Maybe,” Sakura said carefully “We can come live here again soon?’ She was starting to accept this, whatever this was.

“Maybe, things are different now. Hashirama and I never really lived here with you, you have a family now again here, but maybe.” Sasuke said as they walked back to Konoha.

He was happy that she seemed to be accepting this now. Things were going back to the way they were. They had this time, now, they were 12 again, he wouldn’t waste this second chance with her. She had died just as he had realized how much he cared for her, they hadn’t even had a chance to see where it would lead, no, this time, they did.

“It’s getting late, we should hurry.” Naruto said.

“Since when do you worry about things like that?” Sakura teased him, it was so out of character for the Naruto she knew.

“Since I realized I’m not a 12 year old slob?” He laughed at himself. “Man it was shock waking up with the realization of who I once was and looking in the mirror seeing whiskers and blonde hair!” They all laughed.

“I bet.” Sakura laughed, “I’m glad I still look the same. I do don’t i?” She asked them.

“Yes.” Naruto looked at her fondly.

“You are just as beautiful as ever Sakura, even more so now that you are alive with us again.” Sasuke squeezed her hand.

“Let’s get home guys.” Naruto hopped to the trees and started running back to the village, Sasuke and Sakura followed.

_____________

“Your first mission will be a retrieval mission, your target is a cat, named Tora.” The Lord Third told them as they stood before him in the mission room.

Kakashi stood behind his team and nodded.

They took their scroll and left the Hokage’s tower.

“Each of you read the scroll so you can see who missions are written out and the task we have to do, there is a description of the target, the cat, in the mission scroll, memorize it. As you complete more missions and gain experience your missions will get harder and you will get paid more for completing them. This is a D rank mission, all Genin start out with the lowest level until enough experience is gained and the thrust of the village to complete missions successfully.” Kakashi explained to them as they each read the scroll.

Sakura handed the scroll back to him after she had finished reading it. “How many D rank missions do Genin typically have to do to get to the next level of missions, C rank ones Sensei?” She asked him.

“It really depends on the team, there isn’t a set amount, but I can’t see this tem having much of an issue, you will be doing C rank in no time.” He crinkle smiled at them. “Don’t worry Sakura, just focus on the mission right now.”

Naruto and Sasuke shared a look. The hard part would be holding back.

“So then, what do you think you should do first?” Kakashi asked them.

“Um look for the cat?” Naruto volunteered and Sakura rolled her eyes.

“The scroll says that Tora likes fish so, let’s go get a fish and split it up or lay a trap for the cat with the fish?” She suggested and Sasuke nodded agreeing.

“Let’s try it, see if it works.” Kakashi smiled.

The trap was set in the park, they had discussed it and agreed that a normal house cat would most likely flee to the park being close enough to trash bins but far enough from houses. They set the fish up attached to wires and a woven grass cage with sticks. The idea was simple. The cat would enter the trap for the fish, Sasuke would feel the wires being pulled because they were attached to his fingers, the top would fall and Naruto would go retrieve the animal and return it to the owner waiting at the tower. Simple right.

After an hour of waiting in the trees a cat approached, brown cat, red bow, smug attitude, yep that was the cat. They waited and watched it sniff at the fish and look around. Then it patted at the fish with it’s paw. Just a little closer then, yes, Ssuke pulled the wire and the top fell on the cat.

“Naruto go!” Sasuke yelled, the grass cage wouldn’t hold the cat long.

Naruto fell on the trap and grabbed the cat by the neck but it bit him on the nose and he dropped it, Sakura dropped from the tree and ran after the cat at top speed through the bushes, the boys followed and found her on the other side of the bushes holding an unconscious Tora limp in her arms.

“Uh Sakura, you weren't supposed to kill it, I’m sure the owner wanted it back alive.” Kakashi teased her.

“It isn’t dead. I just knocked it out with my chakra a bit. I infused my chakra into my hand and pressed it into its head to knock it out.” She smiled and handed the limp wad of fur to Naruto who took it with one hand and rubbed his bitten nose with the other.

“Did you learn that from scrolls Sakura?” Kakashi asked her eyeing her with interest.

“Ah well, I kinda figured it out on my own.” She looked away from him.

“Let’s get the cat back to the owner before it wakes up and bites Naruto again.” Sasuke suggested walking back toward the tower.

“Yeah, I hate cats.” Naruto grumbled swinging the cat back and forth by the neck.

“Naruto, stop that, you’ll hurt it.” Sakura slapped him on the arm.

“Fine.” He held the cat in his arm, it’s head rolling back and forth as he walked.

“Maybe you should relieve it before we walk into the room Sakura, can you?” Sasuke asked her.

Sakura held a hand to the cat’s head, her hand glowed green for a moment and the cat’s eyes sprang open. Naruto tightened his grip on it and they entered the room.

A heavy woman cried out in joy and grabbed the cat from Naruto, who looked relieved, and ran to the table to pay for the completed mission and left giving her thanks to the Genin team as she left.

“Well, that only took an hour and a half, well done, meet back here tomorrow morning for your next D rank mission.” The Hokgage told the team.

“D rank, but we finished it in record time!” Naruto complained.

“It was rather easy, can’t you give us something more of a challenge?” Sasuke drawled.

“I thought it was a good practice.” Sakura said fairly.

“It was stupid and boring Sakura, we are too talented for soemmething this lame.” Naruto was complaining loudly now.

“If I may, Hokage Sama, I believe my team could handle say a C rank mission?” Kakashi surprised them all into silence. They watched the Hokage and waited.

“Hum, are you sure, this was their first mission after all Kakashi. I’ll think about it, meet back here in the morning. Dismissed.” The Hokage waved the team away and out of the mission room.

When they had reached the stairs to the tower Sasuke turned to their Sensei, “Why did you do that?”

“Do what?” Kakashi asked, though he knew exactly what Sasuke was asking him.

“Why tell the Hokage we are ready for C rank mission?” He asked him.

“Because I think you are ready for one.” Kakashi said as though it were obvious.

“But you haven’t even seen us spar, you don’t know our skill level.” Sasuke probed.

“Haven’t I?” Kakashi smiled and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“Has he?” Naruto asked.

“I think he has been watching us.” Sasuke glowered.

“What should we do?” Sakura asked them. “He is our Sensei, he is bound to notice something, it’s clear he already has, I doubt he will guess the reality of the situation but he isn’t stupid, that’s clear.”

“Yea, let’s just continue to be careful we don’t know if we can trust him yet.” Sasuke warned them.

They made their way to their cave one after the other. They had decided it would be best if they went one at a time not wanting to draw attention to themselves. Sasuke admitted that it probably wouldn’t be an issue, things seemed annoyingly relaxed in peace time, he frowned when he had said that and Naruto had agreed. Sakura thought it was best to be on the safe side though and had been the one to push for meeting at the cave one at a time.

She had gotten there first and unsealed the entrance to their hide away with her blood and re-sealed it behind her. She walked to the river and looked out across the water. Did she remember this place, did it seem familiar to her at all? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She pressed her chakra and spread it out around her in strings like Naruto had told her to do and she felt...something familiar, peace. She felt at peace here, it was nice. She smiled. She could feel Sasuke, then saw him through the seal on the other side. She turned as he walked through the barrier and sealed it behind him again.

“Hey.” He said by way of a greeting, she looked happy. 

“Hey, this place, it’s nice, peaceful. I can feel it, it is relaxing.” She turned back and looked out over the river again.

He came up behind her and put his arms around her, she stiffen momentarily then leaned back into him. He rested his head on her head and said, “This is where you lived, this place was a safe haven for all of us.”

They stood there, him holding her, her resting against him till they felt Naruto’s chakra drawing near, then saw him running out of the woods to them. After Naruto had sealed the barrier behind him they went into their cave together.

“I was thinking it would be nice to have a better house, now that I don’t have to hide my wood release jutsu from you two. What do you think?” Naruto asked them.

“That would be nice, but I think we should keep the original intact too maybe just add onto it.” Sasuke said.

“I still need to practice a bit, to be honest it is harder for me to use it this time around, I don’t have the natural affinity for it anymore.” He admitted.

“If you don’t have the affinity for it how can you use it?” Sakura asked.

“I have to draw the energy from the earth instead of from within me. It requires more chakra than before but since my regular reserves have started coming back, it shouldn’t be a problem.” Naruto told her. He had the Nine Tails of course but he and Kurama hadn’t come to an agreement yet.

“I’m going to go into the house and clean it up a bit, it is really dusty.” Sakura headed into the house.

“Do you think she is okay?” Naruot asked Sasuke. “It is a lot to take in after all.”

“I think that being here in the cave helps, seeing is believing.” Sasuke replied. “I’ll go get us some firewood and throw up some line for Sakura to hang the futons on, I’m sure she will want to beat them.” Sasuke walked out of the cave leaving Naruto to practice his jutsu.

Sakura opened the covered baskets by the futon on the end, her futon. She found clothes of all different colors, old clothes from another era, her clothes. She picked up a black short kimono with matching pants. Sakura blossoms embroidered around the edges a dark pink sash and hair ornaments. “So beautiful.” She murmured.

They were in perfect condition, not deteriorated at all. She thought it must be the seal, everything was left just as it had been left all those years ago. She pulled out another kimono set, this one dark brown and cream colored with a dark brown sash and matching capri pants. She looked down at herself, she liked her red dress with her little black shorts but looking at these clothes, she set them aside, she would shake them out and air them, maybe wear one of them later.

After carrying the baskets of clothes outside she returned to the kitchen and loaded the dishes into smaller baskets, they would need to be washed again. She set the baskets by the river to wash after she wiped down all the counters and the table in the kitchen. As she came back into the cavern from taking the boy’s clothes out in baskets she stopped to admire the new smoke shed Naruto had made.

“Wow Naruto that is really nice, it’s a smoke shed right? For meat?” She asked him and he nodded.

“Look inside!” He opened the door and they walked in. It was small there was enough room for the fire at one end to be dug low and then the roof slanted to direct the smoke and heat to the other end where the meat would hang above and to the side of the fire.

“It’s perfect, are we going to smoke a lot of meat though?” She wasn’t sure they really needed a smoke shed but it was good practice for him.

“Probably not but I had wanted to make one for you before...and never got a chance because I had to hide my jutsu from both of you and the war, there just wasn’t time.” He smiled at her, “There is now though.”

“There is now, yes.” She smiled and went back into the kitchen and wiped down the counters and table.

Sasuke came back soon and started a small fire in the fire pit, he had also brought back a rabbit for her. She took it with one hand and looked at him.

“What am I supposed to do with this?” She held the rabbit out and away from her with a look of disgust on her face.

“You skin it, break it’s bones and cut it up and put it in the pot to cook it.” He grinned at her.

“I don’t know how to do that!” She tried to hand the rabbit back to him but he stopped her.

“You used to do it all the time, just try ok, maybe it will help you get your memories back if you do the things you used to do.” He walked to the house for the futons, “I’ll hang these outside for you.” he grabbed a futon and left.

Sakura stood there by the fire holding the dead rabbit frowning at it. She sighed and took out her kunai and cut a little hole in it’s leg, then cut along its side...30 mins later the rabbit lay skinned on the ground, it’s skin and fur in tatters beside her. “What a mess!” She complained.

Naruto came over and looked at her work and laughed. There were careless cuts all over the meat, joints torn in the wrong places and fur stuck to the meat. “Um, you really don’t remember do you?’ He laughed again as she scowled at him.

“I’ve never done this before!” She snapped at him.

“Yes you have, thousands of times!” He laughed at her again. “You know how to use a katana too, I bought you one right after you moved into the cave.”

“What?” She was shocked, she had never even held a katana that she knew of.

“Uh yeah, it should be in the house still, check in between the futons.” he told her

Sakura went inside and found a beautiful katana just where he said it would be. He knew...he knew where it was. She drew the blade from the scabbard and held it out in front of her, it felt good in her hand. “Beautiful.” She felt her muscles tense, she shifted her weight and thrust the blade up and out to the side. She admired the graceful movement. Her mind might not remember but her chakra did and it made her muscles tingle with recognition.  
More proof, her logical mind told her.

She set the katana back down on her futon and went to finish the rabbit.

Sakura grabbed the dead rabbit by the legs and went outside to wash it in the river. She broke it’s bones and cut it up by throwing the meat into the pot by the fire.

Leaning over the pool of water in the cavern under the waterfall she filled a flask she had found in the kitchen and washed it out with water. She filled it again and poured it into the pot. As she made her way back to the pool to fill the flask again she paused, this felt familiar. An image of her bathing in the pool came to her, her hair had been long, very long and it hung wet over her shoulders and floated around her body as she sat on a bench? Sakura walked to the edge of the pool and looked down, a little to her left was a bench, in the water. She dropped the flask and sat down hard.

Naruto had noticed her sitting down quickly and walked over to her,”Are you ok?” He asked her.

“That bench, I used to sit on it when I took baths here, you, you made it for me didn’t you?’ She looked up at him and he started to cry.

“You remember?” He hugged her to himself and cried harder.

“I remember the bench and taking baths here in the winter. I don’t remember everything.” She paused, “But I will.” She sighed...she would.

Naruto let her go then and filled the flask for her taking it to the pot and dumping it in. She hauled the pot forward and set it on the hooks over the fire. “We didn’t bring any onions or carrots with us.” She mused.

“Check your garden Sakura.” Naruto told her from where he stood a ways away looking at the walls of their house.

“My garden?” She asked him, “I have a garden?”

“Yeah, you used to grow herbs there to make your salves and you grew simples for food like carrots, onions, tomatoes and other easy vegetables. The seal should have preserved everything and it was summer when Madara sealed it so you should have a lot of things ready for harvest.” Naruto went back to his planning for the new part of their home.

Sakura walked outside of the cave and glanced around, she walked along the cliff side where the land met the river and saw it, a large plot with a fence around it, her garden. It was over grown but that was to be expected she thought, if she had been dead and the boys had continued to come here after. She shook her head, that was some logic she smiled to herself, this was real, she shook her head again and smiled wider. Real.

There were a few carrots ready for picking and some onions, she took those inside, cut them up and added them to the pot. Adding “Weed the garden” to her mental to do list she went back to cleaning.

“I was thinking,” Naruto interrupted her, “ that we should keep the futons ofcourse and the kitchen but add walls so the bedroom is separate from the kitchen. What do you think? Oh and I made some furniture, we each have a dresser and a closet.” 

“I think that is a good idea but we should ask Sasuke too.” She said.

Naruto went outside to find Sasuke who had volunteered to beat the dust out of the futons after he had hung them.

They came back inside together and told Sakura they would build the new house around the old one instead of adding onto it, she agreed. All three of them removed everything from the old house and Naruto cracked his knuckles.

“Okay um, stand back just in case, it has been awhile ya know?” He grinned and closed his eyes.

He concentrated his chakra to his feet and drew the energy up and through his body, a small bead of sweat fell down his cheek from his temple and down off his chin, he squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Wood erupted from the earth fast and strong making an awful noise, it bent and joined forming walls and roof, hallways and doors, it was spectacular.

“I knew that stupid wood release was good for somthing.” Sasuke clapped Naruto on his back as he panted from the effort. “It looks great.”

He and Naruto moved their dressers into the bedroom, put up cupboards in the kitchen and filled them with wooden bowls, cups, chopsticks and plates Naruto had made.

By the time they were done lunch was ready. They sat at their new outdoor table and chairs and ate. 

Sakura felt euphoric, the cavern was beautiful, her friends were warm and the food was good. It felt right. She would have thought it would be uncomfortable, this weird cave, the wood release, the concept of reincarnation but it didn’t. It felt like she was home.

She could tell Naruto and Sasuke felt it too. There would be pauses in their eating , in the conversation where they would just look up and smile at one another, like they were all happy to be back, to be together again. It was nice.

After lunch they brought the futons back inside and laid them on the original platform that was now on top of a newer one. Instead of dirt floors it was planked now. There was a place cut out of the flooring in front of the set of futons away from the wall for a fire pit. That would have to be built later though, they were running out of time for the day.

Sakura hung the clothes on the line to air out before they left. She admired all the clothes she used to wear and wondered why no one dressed like that anymore.

“Do you think um, it would be odd if I wore these clothes? I mean, they are mine right?” She asked her boys.

“I don’t see why not, the clothes you were wearing when you died had to be thrown away.. You wore something new that we picked out to be buried in, no one would recognize them. There weren't any pictures back then. The only portrait of you is in the museum. I had it commissioned after you died.” Sasuke said.

“It had hung in my room while I lived, but after I died I told the clan to donate it to the museum, so you would always be remembered. We should go see it, if you still don’t believe, you will when you see the painting.” Sasuke smiled at her.

“Wasn't she wearing that black kimono with the red sash in the painting?” Naruto chimed in.

“Might not want to wear the same kimono as in the painting.” He suggested. “At least not right away, I doubt anyone would put two and two together but you never know.”

“I like that you want to wear the clothes we got you Sakura. They look much better on you than the modern clothes. Traditional dress brings out your natural beauty.” Sasuke was looking at her again with that odd look on his face, as though he was trying to control strong emotions.

She blushed and had to look away.

They left one by one after Sakura had folded and put their clothes in their new dressers. She had chosen a dark grey short kimono with soft pink blossoms embroidery along the neck and the bottom of the capri pants. The sash was also dark grey with blossoms on it, and two hair sticks with silver fastenings and white jade beads that dangled from their ends. Some of the clothes were too large for her to wear yet, she left those folded in the baskets at the bottom of her closet.

Sakura left first this time, her old handwritten scrolls in her bag with her clothes, her katana strapped to her back. Sasuke sealed it after she left and waited with Naruto feeling for her signature till he felt it reach the village safely.

“We need to train, we need to find out the extent of our abilities. We can’t fail to protect her this time Hashi. She will be doing missions now, like she hadn’t before, she hasn’t had any battle training like us. Remember the two Senju and Izuna?” Sasuke asked Naruto.

“Yea, I’m not likely to forget. I am getting better with my wood release but it isn’t what it used to be. I need to practice more in a spar, but it is too showy to do at the training grounds, we need more space than even here to do it. She needs to train her monstrous strength up and learn how to use it in combat.” Naruto said.

“On a mission, if we can get out of the village and then sneak away two at a time, we can set up seals and seal off a good sized area and train then. Kakashi will be a problem, the man is far more observant than is good for him.” Sasuke told Naruto.

“I noticed. He already saw Sakura’s chakra infused punch though. Has she tried healing again yet?” Naruto asked his friend.

“I don’t know but I am sure she will soon. She took her written scrolls the ones she had written before on how to store her chakra, she might create her own jutsu this time around now that she has, more time. We need to talk to her, tell her to hold back on her strength I think.” Sasuke said.

“Or, maybe not, She hasn’t had the training we have true, and like we said before, we can’t be around her all the time, even now in this time of peace, she will need to be able to protect herself. This is the opportunity she never had before.” Naruto said wisely.

“She always had wanted to go on missions.” Sasuke sighed he really needed to find his Gun Bai.

“Let’s not take that away from her then, we can’t control her like last time, keeping her locked up isn’t what is best for her now. Maybe letting her learn and get out there is best now?’ Naruto said.

“I think you’re right, it is hard though, part of me wants to keep her a secret, just for us, like before.” Sasuke smiled a little.

“I know, I’ll go next.” Naruto unsealed the door to their sanctuary and walked out sealing it again and running to the forest. He wanted to find his scroll of weapons.

Sasuke went back inside and into their house. He pulled out a little wrapped parcel he had hid at the bottom of his closet and laid it on the last futon on the end. He hadn’t gotten to give it to her before, better late than never he thought and smiled. He left their cave 20 minutes later and headed for the Uchiha compound.

____________

Sakura got to the Hokage Tower first the next morning dressed in her short dark grey kimono top and capris pants. Her embroidered sash swayed in the wind as she climbed the stairs on the outside of the tower to reach the second story, her katana strapped to her back in ancient fashion, her pouch on her side. It was another beautiful day, it hadn’t rained for over a week and the sun was out.

She rounded the last corner and ran straight into a muscled chest as hands were about to close around her arms she took a step back and crouched one foot two steps below the other bracing herself for an attack.

“Morning Sakura.” Kakashi greeted her amused at her reaction. He leaned up against the wall, hands in his pockets one eyebrow raised, as far as she could see, at her.

“Ah, morning Sensei.” She gave him a calculating look and straightened up her feet landing on the further step from him.

“I see you’re ready for the mission, where are the other two?” He was still leaning against the wall, in all appearances calm and relaxed, but she could feel the tension in his body, it was all for show.

“They are coming.” She said shortly. She could feel their chakra closing in on the tower, slowly. 

“Shall we meet them inside, it would look odd if they found us here, like this, just standing on the stairs.” She tried to smile normally.

“Ofcourse, as you wish.” He made a small motion for her to go ahead of him. “After you .”

“I insist, you go, I’m sorry for bumping into you, uh, weren’t you going downstairs?” She asked recalling he had been coming down when she had been going up.

“I was coming to greet you when I felt your signature, you weren’t suppressing it anymore.” He said casually.

“I don’t in the village usually.” She knew to deny it would throw more suspicion on her than he already had, it seemed.

Sakura looked behind her, “Shall we go then, if you came to meet me, here I am.” She motioned him to go.

“Ofcourse.” He said again and turned his back to her to walk up the stairs.

“Sakura!” Naruto was running up the stairs followed by a slower moving Sasuke.

She turned around to smile at them, “Morning boys.” 

“Morning Sakura.” Sasuke said from around Naruto’s back.

They walked up the stairs to the mission room where Kakashi greeted the rest of the team.

“I wonder what the Hokage has for us this morning.” Kakashi said as they stood before the missions tables.

“Ah, Team Kakashi, here we are,” The Hokage pulled a scroll out from under a few others he had on his table. “An escort mission! C ranked and all set, your escort is waiting down stairs for you. Good luck!” The Hokage caught Kakashi’s eye on the way out of the room and winked.

Kakashi sighed and waved following his team back down the steps to the front of the tower.

There were several individuals waiting in front of the tower. Some were Konoha nin and others were obviously clients. Sasuke eyed the civilians waiting and tried to determine which one theirs was. Ah, he thought to himself, that one. The man was older, glasses, greying hair, had a large brimmed straw hat on and was holding and guzzling a bottle of sake.

Sakura finished reading their mission scroll and handed it to Naruto and looked to the waiting civilians like Sasuke had been doing.

“That one.” She said pointing to the straw hatted man Sasuke had already picked out.

Sasuke nodded and took the scroll from Naruto who looked too. “Yeah, that one.” Naruto agreed.

Sasuke handed the scroll to Kakashi who read it and walked over to the man in the straw hat, “Tazuna?”

The man nodded.

“I am Kakashi Hatake, Jounin and this is my team, Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke. We will be escorting you to the land of waves. Are you ready to go?” Kakashi asked the man Tazuna.

“I am, but are you sure they can handle this, I mean they are just a bunch of kids!” He waved a loose drunken hand over at the team.

Sasuke gave him a condescending look, Naruto bristled and huffed indignantly and Sakura laughed.

“You’re in good hands, don’t worry. I am a Jounin, there won’t be any issues.” Kakashi motioned the man to walk behind him and they left the village.

Sakura was so excited, this was her first mission ever and they got to leave the village, she had always wanted to travel and had never gotten to. Her eyes were wide as she looked around the forests she had never been in before. They walked for a few hours past the river and over a bridge. She was having a great time and couldn’t help but smile.

Naruto and Sasuke watched her enjoy herself smiling to themselves at her clear pleasure at traveling out of the village. She walked next to Tazuna while they brought up the rear. This would be an easy mission, nothing to worry about Sasuke thought. Escorting a civilian was just to ward off robbers and small annoyances. A good first mission for her.

As they walked on Kakashi explained things to them that the boys already knew but was good for Sakura to hear. He explained why they did missions, where they got their missions from and what the different levels of missions entailed. When he explained that this level of an escort mission wouldn’t have missing or other nin coming after them Tazuna stiffened. Kakashi hadn’t noticed being in front but Sasuke and Naruto had.

Kakashi went on the explain the other five nations and their Kages. Sakura was listening intently but didn’t fail to notice Kakashi look down quickly then back up at a puddle in the path. A puddle? She thought to herself, how odd. Kakashi went on to say how the five great nations had their own nin but that the land of waves did not and that’s why they were escorting Tazuna when two nin came out of the puddle behind them and leapt into the air.

Sasuke jumped up grabbing one of the nin faster than Kakashi could move and Naruto grabbed the second, they slammed them down to the ground.

“How did you, how did you know we were behind you! You’re just Genin!” The bigger of the two yelled at Sasuke and Naruto who were giving them dirty looks.

“You didn’t hide your chakra well enough, we could sense you in that puddle.” Sasuke said.

“Yeah and you’re sloppy, it hasn’t rained for days.” Naruto told them.

“Well done Sasuke, Naruto.” Kakashi looked at the two boys then turned to the nin before him.

“Chunin right? The Demon brothers of the Mist.” Kakashi asked them.

“Yeah, that’s right. Your little brats just got lucky that’s all.” The younger of the two said.

“No, I don’t think they did.” Kakashi looked at Sasuke and Naruto again.

“We kill them right?” Sakura asked, her hand on her katana.

“Uh, no , not today. We will leave them here, they will get out eventually but not before their villages hunter nin find them I’m sure. Let’s go.” Kakashi started walking down the path in the direction they were going before the interruption.

“She wanted to kill them?” Naruto whispered to Sasuke.

“Ofcourse she didn’t, she just didn’t know what to do.” Sasuke said and he walked a little faster to get up next to Sakura.

Tazuna saw the black haired boy jerk his head and he went to walk up by Hatake.

“We would have killed them before, in our time but now, they don’t do that now. We aren’t at war anymore Sakura, there is no need to kill them.” He whispered to her.

“I didn’t want to kill them, I just thought that's what we were supposed to do.” She whispered back.

“It’s okay, but I think you might have freaked out our new um, Sensei.” Sasuke laughed a little. “He is going to think you are a bloodthirsty crazy girl.” he grinned at her and she scoffed.

They continued to walk on like this for a few more hours when a sword came flying from behind over their heads and embedded itself into a tree in front of them, a big shinobi with a headband with a line through it stood looking back at them over his shoulder.

“Well, no wonder the Demon brothers had trouble with you, Kakashi of the Sharingan.” The shinobi said.

“Sharingan?” Sasuke whipped his head to Kakashi.

“Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Mist.” Kakashi greeted their new enemy.

“Demon of the Mist?” Sakura whispered.

“Yes, Zabuza also goes by the name the Silent Killer, he has mastered the silent killing technique, you don’t hear or see him and before you know it, you’re dead.” Kakashi explained to them in the same tone he explained the Kage system to them. He was bored.

“I’m not here to fight you Kakashi, I just want the bridge builder, I have no argument with you.” Zabuza said in a friendly manner.

“Well see then, that is a problem, he hired us to protect him on the way home to his village. I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to go back to wherever you came from because we aren’t giving him up.” Kakashi said just as friendly.

“I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this but it seems there is no other choice.” Zabuza sighed.

“I guess I’ll need this.” Kakashi lifted his headband off his eye to reveal his sharingan.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, “Why, may I ask do you have a sharingan, you are not an Uchiha, did you steal it?” Sasuke asked much more calmly than he felt.

“Now is not the time Sasuke, later.” Kakashi said absently.

“Well, looks like I get the see the sharingan in action.” Zabuza smiled and turned to face them.

“Protect the bridge builder.” Kakashi told them and Sasuke and Naruto ran to stand in front of Tazuna. “You too Sakura.” Kakashi told her when he noticed she hadn’t moved.

“But what about you Sensei, won’t you need help?” She protested.

“I got this. Go.” He said not unkindly.

She went and stood between Sasuke and Naruto.

Zabuza ripped his sword from the tree and flew to the lake, standing on the water with his two fingers on one hand touching his nose , the other arm raised over his head fingers in the air.

“He’s building up a huge amount of chakra,” Kakashi said out loud.

“Mist, he is using the Hidden Mist Jutsu.” Sakura murmured to herself, “Oh no!” She said louder.

The mist was growing thicker and thicker, killing intent was surrounding them. Sasuke yawned, what a cheap parlor trick. Naruto was shifting his weight from one foot to the other, this was taking too long. Sakura was thinking furiously, the middle, he will come in the middle between the bridge builder and us.

“Stay calm, don’t worry I won’t let anything happen to you.” Kakashi told them.

“Who is worried?” Naruto asked, seriously and Sasuke laughed.

“He’s coming.” Sakura said. “I can sense him.” She pulled her katana from her back.

The mist disappeared. “Naruto, Sasuke down!” Sakura yelled, stepping back and thrusting her katana up into the man that had appeared seemingly out of nowhere behind them.

“How did you…” Zabuza dropped to the ground.

“Huh?” Kakashi turned but only got to take one step as a masked boy landed in front of him.

“Zabuza, I will avenge you.” The masked boy said throwing three senbon at Sakura as he turned to Kakashi.

Sasuke jumped in front of her and deflected them. Naruto ran to the masked boy creating 12 shadow clones on the way.

Kakashi’s sharingan spun in his eye and lightning burst into a ball in his hand sparking and chirping to life.

The masked boy dodged Naruto’s clones with ease, he was fast.

Kakashi lept from the ground behind one of Naruto’s clones and thrust his chidori at the masked boy but missed.

Sakura had succeeded in pulling her sword from Zabuza and ran toward the masked boy who was fending off Kakashi and a pissed off Sasuke.

Sasuke pulled three kunai from his pouch and launched two at the boy then the third past his head to a trap Naruto had set. Kakashi saw with his sharingan and bolted away with Naruto and Sasuke. The paper bombs went off and the masked boy fell to the ground.

Sakura walked up to the coughing boy slowly, stood over him with the sword that still had his partner’s blood on it. “The pain will be over soon, either way.”

She looked to Sasuke, “Do we kill this one? He is different than those other two. He is dangerous.”

When no one spoke she cocked her head at the masked boy on the ground. Raising her hand she moved her sword tip over his heart.

“Sakura, what are you doing?” Naruto asked in a small voice.

“I’m going to kill him.” She said and pushed her sword into his heart, the only noise that was heard was a small choking sound.

“Sakura.” Sasuke whispered then nodded his head when she looked at him.

Kakashi watched with his sharingan, he saw the hard line in the girls mouth as she had pushed her blade through the boy’s heart, had felt the killing intent that wasn't his or Zabuza’s when Zabuza touched down behind him. This girl...she was different than her friends. She was a killer. A cold blooded Killer.


	7. Remember

“Sakura, why did you kill him, the boy?” Naruto asked her.

They were camped outside of the land of waves on their way home to Konoha after dropping Tazuna off at his house.

“He was the enemy. I was, too soft before. Someone else had to do it for me last time. I had to.” She said, her eyes watching the fire.

Sasuke knew she meant Izuna, and the Senju in the forest. She hadn’t poisoned the senbon with lethal poison. Izuna had killed them. Izuna had told her they were the enemy, that if he hadn’t killed them they would come back and kill him or her, that it was necessary. She remembered.

Naruto sat quietly watching Sasuke and Sakura.

“We don’t have to kill them just because they are the enemy Sakura. It is a time of peace between the villages. It isn’t like in war time, things are different, but.” He paused and looked at her, “You’ve never been through war have you.” 

She looked at Kakashi, why did it seem like more of a question than a statement. “I have never fought on the front lines.” She told him.

Sasuke and Naruto glanced at one another then looked away. No, she had never fought on the front lines like them but she had been through a war, no matter how hard they had tried to shield her from it. Their war. She had died because of their war.

“Maybe if you killed your enemies in this time of peace, there wouldn’t be a time of war.” She looked up then.

“Sakura, do you know what you’re saying? You’re saying it is okay to kill to prevent war, that is just, it’s ridiculous.” Naruto said.

“What is a shinobi Naruto?” She asked him without looking at him. “You, being who you are, is a shinobi not a weapon for peace?” She looked at him then.

You being who you are...he knew what she meant. They both did. They were leaders, prodigies of their time. How many had to die before peace had been made between their clans though, from their fathers’ time to theirs and she had been the one to them, the one that died, that made the difference.

Sasuke interrupted before Naruto could say anything, “A shinobi is indeed a weapon for peace, but what good is a weapon who has no master to follow, who is your master Sakura?” He asked her.

She sat there a moment thinking. “I don’t know anymore. Maybe Konoha. Did it come true? Was this our dream?” She asked her boys tears sliding down her face.

“You remember.” Sasuke said.

“I remember.” She said quietly.

“Remember what?” Kakashi asked, had they forgotten he was there, he thought, maybe he ought to have stayed quiet.

“Nothing.” Naruto said watching his two best friends, “It’s nothing Sensei.”

I should have stayed quiet, Kakashi thought to himself as they clamed up around him.

They went to bed shortly after, conversation dead, mood heavy. Kakashi took first watch and woke Sakura and Sasuke halfway through the night.

“Sakura, it was supposed to happen that way.” Sasuke whispered to her.

They had moved a little ways out of camp for their watch but sat side by side on a log close to one another.

“I was supposed to die that way you mean.” She asked him.

“I think so, you ended the war. I can’t, couldn’t think of another way. I was so angry you were gone, I blamed myself, Hashirama, Izuna and Tobirama for years. In the end though, I think it had to happen that way.” He was holding her hand.

“I missed out on so much, but I don’t regret it. I only wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten in between Tobirama and Izuna.” She said.

“Tobirama would have killed Izuna and I would have killed Tobirama. Hashirama never would have forgiven me if I had killed his little brother, the war would never have ended and Konoha wouldn’t be here today.” He told her.

“Yes, and what is Konoha today. Is it everything you have seen in your dreams? It almost seems too good to be true.”

“I understand why you killed him, he said he would avenge Zabuza. You had to kill him to prevent retaliation, you couldn’t trust him to let it go.” Sasuke understood. 

“Yes, exactly, if I hadn’t killed him, he would have come back and taken one of you or both of you from me. Or me from you again.” She cried then, tears falling like rain down the side of her face.

“I just remembered, I’ve lost so much. There had been so much I had wanted to do, then.” She cried and he held her.

“This is our second chance, we can do everything you want to do , together.” He hugged her.

“Go back to sleep, I can stand watch alone.” He hugged her one last time and pushed her in the direction of the camp. She smiled at him and went to lay down.

___________

Morning broke and with it a new set of problems.

“I’m going to have to tell the Hokage Sakura, it will be in the mission report. You killed Zabuza Momochi and his apprentice Haku, they were both in the Bingo book.” Kakashi told them as they ran through the trees to the gates of Konoha.

“I understand Sensei.” She replied.

They stood before the Hokage and Kakashi gave their oral report. The Hokage’s eyes got larger and larger as Kakashi told him Sakura had not only killed Zabuza but Haku as well.

“I see,” Said the Lord Third. “Why kill Haku Sakura?” He asked her curiously.

“Because a shinobi is a weapon for peace. If I hadn’t killed him, one of us would die by his hand one day. He was adamant on revenge. By killing him, I kill the need for revenge thus creating peace.” She said and bowed formally to the Hokage, a gesture beyond her age.

“You are not in trouble. This mission turned out to be an S rank mission instead of the assumed C ranked one, I admire your hidden skills but in the future, do not kill needlessly.” He warned her.

“His death was not needless Lord Third. I will consider your words in the future.” She said, trying to be respectful but not backing down.

“I believe she did what was right Hokage Sama.” Kakashi spoke in her defense before Sasuke or Naruto could.

“Indeed. You are dismissed.” The Hokage sat back in his seat and watched the team leave his office..

_____________

Sakura and her team made their way down the stairs of the Hokage’s Tower. Two Anbu stood on the roof watching them go.

“Did you hear her?” Shisui asked.

“Hn.” Itachi responded.

They watched as Sakura hugged both Sasuke and naruto walked off in a different direction, toward her house.

“You’re little brother sure knows how to pick them huh.” Shisui grinned.

“So it would seem.” Itachi said watching the pink hair bob away down the street.

___________

Sakura stopped by her parent’s house to pick up the scrolls she had brought back from the cave and a few other things she wanted then left again making her way through the forest masking her chakra as she crossed the village border into the forest beyond.

She stopped outside of the seal and bit her finger, she stepped through and redid the seal. She looked around. So familiar.

“I’m home.” she breathed out a ragged breath. She had remembered, when her blade cut through Zabuza, she had felt a cold wash over her, the memories came flooding back to her as his blood dripped down her hand, much like the blood that had dripped down Tobirama’s hand when he had stabbed her.

She cried then, again, for the life she had lost, now that she was alone. She cried for Izuna, whom she had just started to get to know, who she had really liked. She cried for Tobirama, who she hadn’t gotten to know but knew she would have liked if she had been given the time to do so. Time, that’s what she wanted, she wanted more time. She had her boys back yes, but she still felt out of place.

Taking her bag from across her body she sat down on a flat rock by the river and opened the scroll on sealing chakra she had written. The Yin seal, she read her writing, you create a Yin seal on your body and focus all your overflow of chakra into it. You have to be at full capacity first . Okay. She stood up and focused all her chakra into a point on her forehead. In theory, it would take almost all of her chakra to create a Yin seal. You had to have perfect chakra control to even attempt it. If you failed, you died of chakra exhaustion.

Sakura stood concentrating all of her chakra into the point of her forehead. She willed the flow to reverse in her body and split her chakra channels in two. Half would be her regular chakra flow, the other half would send the remaining chakra to her seal. That way, she wouldn’t die from exhaustion. She began to sweat and\\\s the toll took control of her body. She could feel the chakra leaving her channels and being channeled into the seal. So close, she grit her teeth, just a little more. She collapsed. A small purple rhombus glowed on her forehead as she slept.

Sasuke made his way to their cave. He had stopped by Sakura’s parents house earlier that afternoon to see how she was. She had said she wanted to be alone for a little after they had reported from the mission but that had been over 4 hours ago. He wanted to talk to her, she had regained her memories on their mission, he needed to see her, she had seemed upset and depressed. He was worried.

He unsealed the entrance and turned to seal it back up when he noticed her on the ground. He quickly thurst the seal back into place making the hand signs and ran to her.

“Sakura!” He lifted her halfway off the ground and caressed her face. He noticed the small little purple rhombus on her forehead. “You did it.” He whispered.

“I did it.” She said softly.

“Madara, help me inside to my bed please. I’m tired, it took almost all my chakra.” She told him.

“Shizuka, you’re back.” He kissed her.

“I’m back. Now take me to my bed please.”

He lifted her up in his arms and took her inside. He lay her on her bed and pulled the blanket up over her.

“Thank you Mada.” She whispered and fell back asleep.

He sat there by her for a few more minutes smoothing the hair from her face and smiling down at her. “Anything for you love.” He kissed her again and went to gather her scrolls by the river. He couldn’t remember the last time he had been this happy. He paused, no, he did, it was the last time he had woken up with her, in the bed she lay in now, in his arms. He continued to gather her things and went back inside their cave.

Sasuke filled the pot over the outside fire with water, he had brought two rabbits already skinned and cut for dinner. He pulled out three onions, carrots and celery from his bag, cut them up and added them to the pot. He sired in salt and pepper, cayenne and thyme. He hadn’t told Naruto he was coming here but assumed the knucklehead would show up when he couldn’t find them in the village. He hoped it wouldn’t be for a while though, she needed to rest.

She had her memories back, which meant, her feelings too right? She would remember how close they had been, how much they loved one another. How would she react when she woke. She hadn’t seemed to mind that he had kissed her. He smiled, she was back. A slight frown replaced his smile. She had killed that boy, she didn’t need to. Zaubuza, yes, they had all understood why she had killed him, they all would have done the same but the boy. He knew she hadn’t had to kill him. He agreed with her reasoning, probably more so than the others but still, it seemed so unlike her former self who preferred to heal than kill.

Sasuke watched the fire under the pot, stirring it occasionally. She had never been in a fight like that before though, on a mission. Is that why she had answered like that. When he had asked her who her master was, he knew she understood what he was asking. She had answered maybe Konoha. Is that why she had killed Haku, for Konoha, no. She had killed him for them, her boys, for Izuna, because she couldn’t last time.

He wasn't sure how long he had sat there but he turned his head to their house when he heard small snuffling noises.

She came out in a robe and sat beside him by the fire a small box in her hand.

“Mada, why did you give me this?” She held the box out to him.

“I had meant to give it to you before, in our other life but I didn’t get the chance.” He opened the box and pulled out the small delicate ring made of wisps of gold and silver, a small pink diamond in the center.

She watched him look at the ring. There were so many emotions passing over his face it was hard to pick one.

“It isn’t like before Mada, I won’t be alone if something happens to you or Hashi. There is Konoha now.” She said.

“Do you think that is what it was ever about for me?” He looked her in the eye.

“Of course I didn’t want you to be alone if something happened to us, of course I wanted you to have the backing of my clan, but not only because your parents had died. I loved you. I love you now. I carried this ring in my pocket for decades. I felt by leaving it I was leaving you. Before I died, while I could still move on my own I came here and laid this in your baskets. I had regretted not giving it to you that night. Do you remember that night, our last two nights together.”

“Yes.” She breathed out slowly turning the small box in her hands. “I remember Mada.”

“You had a nightmare, you asked me to stay with you, that you needed me, that you wanted me. I told you I loved you, you let me touch you, kiss you. Nothing has changed for me, if anything I love you more now than I ever did before!” He nearly yelled at her in his passion to express himself.

“I’m sorry.” He said quietly. “Please, Shizuka, do not tell me it isn’t like before, for me, it is very much like before. If it isn’t the same for you, tell me now, please.” He stepped close to her and took her hands, the ring pressed in between them.

She lifted her head and searched his eyes. “It is as you say, nothing has changed, if anything, I love you more, but we are young here, we are only 12 years old.” She laughed and the mood lightened.

“Yeah, it’s a real pain in the ass, but it also means we get more time together.” He smiled at her.

“Yes.” She smiled at him.

“So, will you uh, I mean.” He faltered holding the ring out to her.

“Yes. I love you.” She smiled at him and he bent to kiss her softly and put the ring on her finger. He looked down.

“It’s too big.” He laughed and she giggled.

“Ask me again when we’re sixteen?” She teased him.

“I will.” He said seriously. “Your answer had better still be yes, in fact I’m counting this as a yes, you just don’t get the ring for four more years.” He grinned at her.

“It’s a yes.” She smiled at him and he kissed her again.

“This feels weird, I mean, good. “ He didn’t wish to offend her. “We’re twelve.” He laughed.

“Yes sixteen but trapped in a twelve year old’s body.” She giggled.

“I’m actually 17 remember, trapped in a twelve year olds body.” He sighed but kissed her again. “Come, I made dinner.” and he led her outside to the fire pit.

Naruto showed up shortly after they had filled their bowls, filling one for himself he asked if Sakura’s memories had returned.

“Yes Hashi.” She smiled at him.

“Oh good! I’m so glad! It was hard seeing how confused you got and I know you felt left out a bit. Glad to have you back Shizuka.” He smiled at her.

They ate in companionable silence until Naruto told them he ran into Kakashi earlier when he had been looking for them in the market.

“He said he has news for us and wants us to meet him by the red bridge to the park tomorrow morning around 8am.” Naruto told them.

“Huh, I wonder what that is about, news?” Sakura said.

“We’ll find out when we get there, in the meantime, let’s train after dinner. I need to train before I go crazy. All this Genin stuff is nice but I want to let loose a bit. I mapped out a decent place on the way here and brought some sealing tags with me, I’ll show you after dinner.” Sasuke said.

“That sounds great actually! “ Sakura was excited and so was Naruto.

They all ate quickly after that and followed Sasuke out of the sealed home and walked into the woods a ways.

‘I was thinking from here to here. “He threw tagged kunai from on the side of a clearing to the other, “and from here to here.” He threw two kunai out and they hit beyond their eyesight.

Naruto and Sakura nodded. It seemed like a good space.

“Are we going to seal it off permanently? Konoha is a lot more crowded than it used to be Sasuke, someone might notice.” Naruto said.

“Just for when we want to spar, I don’t want anyone suspicious and I definitely don’t want anyone to find our cave. While it would take a truly exceptional nin to undo that seal, it is possible.” Sasuke said making the signs for the seals so they could spar.

“It’s ready.” He said.

“Are we going all out? Remember I’m not as good as you two, even with his new decoration of mine.” Sakura pointed her thumb at her rhombus.

Naruto’s eyes went wide, “Sakura! You have a seal! Is it an Uzumaki seal? It looks just like Mito’s!” He exclaimed.

“I didn’t know Mito remember Naruto, I don’t know what kind of seal she had, this is my Yin seal though, it allows me to store up chakra to use as a backup to enhance my regular abilities, and in theory, I can’t die if it is activated because I am a medic nin.” She grinned at him as his mouth dropped open.

“Really?” He asked her.

“Really.” She said.

“You were close to figuring it out back then weren’t you?” Sasuke asked. “If you had then maybe we could have.” He stopped himself.

She gave him a sad smile, “Yes, I would have survived, but we are all here now, and that’s what matters.” She said.

“You’re right. Let’s spar.” He grinned at his friends.

_____________

Sasuke smiled to himself as he made his way to the Naka Shrine in the Uchiha compound. He lifted the seventh tatami mat from the far right and lowered himself down. He felt along the bottom of the altar in the front of the room until he felt a small relief on the smooth surface. He bent down and looked, a little carving of his Gun Bai. He pushed his chakra into the relief and the altar slid to the side. He smiled in anticipation as he walked down into the dark cavern below the underground shrine. He lit the torches long abandoned on the walls with a fire jutsu and walked to the end of the hall where it opened up into a larger room. His room.

It rested on it’s wooden stand over the mantle, dusty and unkempt, but his. He raised his hand and his chakra surged, the Gun Bai flew from the stand into his hand. His eyes blazed red. “Hello my baby, Daddy’s back.”

He took out a weapons scroll from his waist and sealed his Gun Bai into the scroll. Looking to the left he saw his red armour, he sealed that too into his scroll. Looking to the right he saw the most beautiful painting of a pink haired woman in a black kimono with a red sash. He did not seal the painting into the scroll but dusted it off with the sleeve of his shirt. He had told Izuna to donate it to the Konoha museum yes, but it hadn’t been the real one. He would never let her go he had told her, and he hadn’t. One day, he thought to himself, it will hand above our bed, in our home. 

Sasuke walked out of the room, up the stairs and out from under the altar. He sealed the door to his private room and left the Naka Shrine much like he had two generations ago. That day, Sasuke stopped cutting his hair, it was time to grow it out again, he missed it. Besides, she would need something to grab onto he thought and he grinned as he tucked the rolled up weapons scroll in his waist.

_____________

Naruto sat on his bed in his little apartment thinking. He couldn’t remember where he had last put his weapons scroll. Oh that’s right, he had had it with him in the first shinobi war, when he had died. Did someone take it? Did Tobirama have it? Tobirama must have taken it, he had died by his brother’s side. Tobi wouldn’t have let anyone take his weapons scroll. Which meant, it was in Tobirama’s grave. Naruto grimaced. He didn’t want to break into his brother’s gave. He wouldn’t. He did need weapons though.

____________

Sakura sat on the bench in the park reading one of her handwritten scrolls on seals when she noticed it was getting late. She rolled up the scroll and put it in her bag as she stood up and stretched. Her chakra levels had been steadily increasing since their first day as team 7. She found when she was sitting and reading or mediating it was easier to store larger amounts of chakra. She had been practicing directing subtle amounts to her seal over the day and found if she stayed just under a certain level it wasn't draining to her at all. The idea was to fill her seal reserves as fast as possible without interfering with her regular reserves that she might need for missions.

Just as she was about to leave she felt a familiar chakra signature in the trees nearby. “Kakashi, I know you’re there.” She turned to face him with her hand on her hip.

“No Sensei?” Kakashi smiled at her but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“Sorry, Sensei.” She smiled, but it did not reach her eyes either.

“You are an excellent sensor for your age Sakura, I am very impressed.” Kakashi complimented her.

“You weren’t hiding it very well Sensei.” She said sweetly.

“Hum, Maybe not.” He scratched his chin absentmindedly.

“Is there something you need Sensei, Naruto told us you had some news for us but I thought we were meeting tomorrow morning at 8am.” She said.

“Have you ever gone to the Konoha museum Sakura?” He asked her casually, ignoring her statement.

“Uh, no, I don’t think so.” The Konoha museum, why would he ask her that?

“There is a painting there, of a beautiful woman, very beautiful. She looks a lot like you actually. Pink hair. Even dresses similar to you.” He nods to her dark grey short kimono and capris.

“How fortunate she had such great taste.” She gets out, hopefully as casually as she wanted it to. Her heart is racing.

“Yes, I just thought you might be a relative or something of hers. Her last name was Haruno too. She was supposed to be very important to the founders of Konoha. Kinda like you are to Sasuke and Naruto hum? Interesting. Don’t you think?” Kakashi is looking at her straight on now, no casual scratching, no fake smiles.

“What are you implying Kakashi?” She raises her eyebrow to him and stands straight, her hands on her hips, defiant.

“I don’t think I asked you anything at all Sakura.” He did smile then, a small concession.

“Then goodnight Kakashi. I will see you in the morning.” She turned to leave but he stepped in front of her his arm out.

She took his arm in one hand and bent it back out of her way, he slid his foot up and around the back of her knee dropping her to the ground, she rolled letting go of his arm and rose to a crouching position with a kunai in hand.

“You are more than what you seem Sakura.” Kakashi smiled at her.

“You are too suspicious for your own good Kakashi.” She slowly lowered her kunai.

“Ever thought of Anbu Sakura? I think you would like it.” 

That surprised her. She hadn’t been expecting that.

“What?” She asked.

“I said, Anbu could use someone like you.” He said.

“Someone like me, why not Naruto or Sasuke.” She asked.

“Hummm, Sasuke maybe, but not Naruto, he is too...kind. Think about it Sakura.” He disappeared.

She stood there, it was now full dark, and she made her way home to her parents house.

___________

Sasuke was already there when she arrived at the red bridge. He waved to her and she waved back coming to stop in front of him and hugged him. With his arms around her waist she told him about her conversation with Kakashi last night.

“So he might be on to something but he doesn’t know everything.” Sasuke said.

“Most likely.” She said.

“Anbu .” He said.

“Yep.” She said.

“Well we can’t.” He said.

“I know, we won’t leave Naruto.” She leaned into him resting her head on his shoulder.

“What’s up with you guys?” Naruto asked walking up to them.

“We’re engaged as of last night” Sasuke told him and smiled.

“What?” Naruto said in shock.

“I told you to ask me again in four years.’ Sakura laughed at Sasuke.

“But you said yes so it counts.” He kissed her.

“So, you guys uh, congratulations.” Naruto mumbled.

“Are you okay with his?” Sakura asked stepping out of Sasuke’s arms.

“Yeah! Of course!” Naruto smiled widely at her. “Just surprised.”

“You married Mito remember?” Sasuke pointed out to Naruto.

“I know, it’s just. I thought I could have a second chance this time with Shizuka.” Naruto smiled a little ruefully.

“I’m sorry Naruto but, this kinda started before, before the last war.” She said gently.

“Naw don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for you guys. I just don't want to be left behind is all.” Naruto said and looked away.

“Never, brother.” Sasuke said.

“We’re a team you know?” Sakura smiled at him.

“Yes a team.” Kakashi dropped down to the rail of the red bridge, “And as a team I have entered you in the Chunin exams, they start in one week.”

“The Chunin exams?” Sakura said.

“That’s right. In order to get more dangerous better paying missions you need to move up in the ranks. So you need to take the exams. If you pass , you can become Chunin, which will open more doors for you as a Konoha nin like possibly joining Anbu, or getting your own Genin squad later as a Jounin.” Kakashi looked at Sakura.

Sasuke gave Kakashi a narrowed look. “She will not be joining Anbu.” He said calmly to Kakashi who glanced his way.

“I don’t believe I asked you for your opinion Sasuke.” Kakashi said now looking at the boy full on.

“I don’t care if you asked or not, I’m telling you, she will not be joining Anbu, do not bring the topic up to her again.” Sasuke said evenly.

“Anbu?” Naruto looked from Kakashi to Sasuke.

“He asked you to join Anbu? But didn’t Tobi make it for…” Naruto stopped talking.

“I will not be joining Anbu, Kakashi, thank you for extending the invitation to me.” She said formally, hoping he would drop the subject. She could feel Sasuke’s chakra swirling around him.

“As you wish. I would like to start training you twice a day for the next week, for the Chunin exams. We will work on stamina, chakra control and jutsu. Meet at training ground 3 tomorrow morning at 9am.” Kakashi told them.

“That will not be necessary...Sensei. Thank you for your offer.” Sasuke said and beckoned his friends with his head that they were leaving.

Naruto paused before following Sakura and Sasuke, “Sorry.” He said and ran off after his friends.

“Interesting.” Kakashi sighed and walked away.

Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura sat side by side on the eastern wall of Konoha looking out over the forest.

“Can you feel them Shizuka?” Sasuke asked her.

“They have been arriving all day, since dawn, yes.” She replied.

“They are Genin, for the exam.” Naruto confirmed.

“Most are but there are three that just entered, who are more than they appear. I can feel a disturbance.” Sasuke looked to the west.

“It’s dark, like Hashi’s but darker.” Sakura said.

“Kurama and I are getting along better but he still doesn’t trust me. He says Mito told him I hated him. I didn’t, I mean don’t hate him, it’s just hard.” Naruto lifted his shirt and looked at his seal.

He had been working on his relationship with the NineTails since their return from the land of waves. Progress was slow it seemed.

Sakura smiled at him, “You can do it Naruto, he will come around eventually, he will see what a good friend you can be.”

“He is laughing at you right now, he says a lot of things now. At least he talks more, even if it is distracting at times.” Naruto smiled.

“I think we should check out those chakra signatures that just came into our village. One of them seems too dark, too abnormal, almost as if...no, it can’t be.” Sasuke frowns. He missed having his sharingan.

“What?” Sakura asks him.

“It’s another Jinchuriki.” Sasuke looks at Naruto.

“Are they so common now? The only one I knew of was Mito.” Naruto frowned.

“Let’s go.” Sakura was already jumping from rooftop to roof top toward the western part of the village where the dark chakra could be felt moving further into their village.

Sakura saw them first. They were walking down the street toward a small group of kids playing ball. One of the kids kicked the ball and it went flying into the face of the taller nin, he wore a body suit of black, a hood over his head and purple face paint.

The black covered nin stopped and picked the ball up that hit him in the face. A small academy boy with a long blue scarf ran up to him. “Sorry about that, it was an accident.”

“This your ball?” The black covered jumpsuit nin asked.

“Yes, sorry for hitting you with it, may I have it back please?” The boy asked politely.

The black covered nin threw the ball high into the air, as it came back down and before the boy could catch his ball the nin kicked it, the ball sped off in the opposite direction and so did Naruto.

Naruto came back with the ball in his hands and handed it to the boy with the scarf.” Take your ball and go.”

The boy and his friends ran away looking back over their shoulders.

Sakura and Sasuke dropped down from the tree they had been in while watching the ordeal.

“That wasn't nice, he was just a kid and it was an accident.” Naruto narrowed his eyes at the foreign nin.

“Are all of you Leaf nin a bunch of bleeding hearts, pathetic.” The nin said, while the blonde nin next to him smirked.

“I’ll show you a bleeding heart.” Sakura stepped forward fists balled up at her sides glowing with chakra.

A redheaded boy dropped from the tree they had been in previously and landed in between Sakura and the black clothed nin.

“Kankuro, settle down, we aren’t here to cause trouble.” The redhead told the taller one.

“Uh yeah, sorry Gaara, I was just joking, it was just a joke.” Kankuro said nervously to the shorter younger redhead.

Gaara turned to Sakura and bowed slightly. “I’m sorry for any trouble he may have caused.”

Sakura defused the chakra in her fists, “Thank you.” She returned his polite bow.

Gaara stood there looking her over. “Pink hair, how unusual.” He murmured.

Naruto growled next to her, Gaara switched his gaze from Sakura to Naruto and smiled.

“I said we didn’t want any trouble and we don’t.” Gaara’s eyes glazed for a moment as if he was listening to something no one else could hear.

Naruto’s eyes went wide and he started to move toward Gaara but Sasuke held him back with an arm.

“They said they aren’t here for trouble.” Sasuke told his friend who nodded.

“We’re here for the Chunin exams.” The blonde offered looking at Sasuke in a way that made Sakura want to punch her in the throat.

“Perhaps you should get moving then.” Sakura smiled sweetly at them.

“We will meet again.” Gaara smiled a soft smile at her and they walked on down the road.

The three stood there in the middle of the street watching them leave. “He is, he is a Jinchuriki, Kurama told me, it is Shukaku of the Sand, the One Tail.” Naruto said quietly.

“I’ve never met another Jinchuriki, not now or when Mito was one.” Naruto said.

“Kurama can tell? Is that the dark chakra we felt?” Sakura asked.

“Yes, he can tell and I think, so could I , I just didn’t know for sure but I do now and Gaara, I think he knows too.” Naruto said.

“He might be a problem then, if he isn’t in control of his Tailed beast.” Sasuke said.

“If only I had my damned sharingan!” Sasuke fumed a bit. It would have made it so much easier.

Naruto laughed and they looked at him.

Naruto blushed, “Uh, Kurama told me to watch out for you Sakura. He says that Shukaku likes girls...a lot.”

Sasuke frowned at his friend, “What is that supposed to mean.”

“Kurama says he can’t wait to see Sakura punch Gaara in the throat the first time he lays his hands on her.” Naruto laughs.

“I’ll kill him if he tries.” Sasuke said coldly.

“Come on you two, let’s go train.” Sakura took one of their hands in each of hers and led them away.


	8. The Forest of Death

Kakashi scanned the forest with his sharingan but he couldn’t find them. He sat in the tree by the river’s bridge to the main path for the next smaller village over the hills. He could have sworn he saw them come this way ten minutes ago. Their chakra signatures vanished when they had vanished from his sight. His Genin were not ordinary Genin, he had already known that but still, he was a former Anbu Captain, Kakashi of the Sharingan, the fucking Copy Nin of Konoha, why was he having such a hard time finding three Genin? He sighed and pulled out his book to read and clear his head.  
______________

“GET BACK HERE HASHI!” Sakura screamed as she fell over backward from his surprise attack.

“Hell no woman! You’re going to kill me!” Naruto tore around the tree to get away from her.

She plucked the tree from the ground like it was a feather and swung it roots and all at her friend. CRASH!

“Uh, Sakura, take it easy love.” Sasuke smiled at her from the other side of the field they were sparing in.

“AND YOU! YOU STABBED THROUGH MY KIMONO, RUINING IT AND CUT MY SASH IN TWO!” She lunged at him with her katana held firm behind her.

He dodged laughing and pulled his Gun Bai from his back. “We haven’t spared like this before, be careful dear, you get to see what I can really do now.”

Sasuke swung his Gun Bai over his head and down in the face of her chakra infused blade headed his way and she flew backwards through the air barely landing on her feet.

“I’m impressed, most people wouldn’t have been able to land on their feet after that. You truly are remarkable love.” He grinned at his intended.

“Don’t patronize me Mada!” She flicked three poisoned senbon at his gut as if they were flecks of dust on her shirt, he caught them and threw them at Naruto who was running at him from the back.

Naruto squeaked and two of him poofed away. The third, the real one fell to the ground and rolled over panting, “Hey! She poisons them with lethal poison now ya know!”

“If you can’t dodge three measly senbon, you don’t deserve to be called the “God of Shinobi” Sasuke drawled and ducked as Sakura stepped into his chest with her katana, barely missed being sliced in two.

A huge fireball ripped from Sasuke’s mouth, Sakura screamed “Earth Style Earth Rampart!” She flew up in the air on top of a huge wall like mountain of earth avoiding the flames.

Sakura grinned down at Sasuke, “You’ll have to do better than that, ''Love “. She crowed at him.

Faster than she thought possible he was in front of her picking her up by her waist and flinging her down off the mountain to the ground. “Like that dear?” He grinned.

“Hey, too harsh Sasuke!” Naruto ran to Sakura who raised her hand to stop him. 

“This is a serious spar, don’t Naruto, this is what we need right now.” She smiled at him and dusted the grime from her torn clothes.

Naruto stood there for a moment, nodded then grinned. Red chakra began to swirl around him in spurts and waves.

Sasuke and Sakura stopped running at one another to watch their friend. Dark chakra enveloped him and he opened his mouth and …..roared, loud and fierce.

“He is controlling the Nine Tails?” Sasuke asked her.

“Or Kurama is controlling him.” She looked worried.

Naruto's eyes glowed red but he smiled at them, “Come at me with everything you have Madara!” He yelled.

Sasuke grinned, “You got it.”

Gun Bai flying behind him he ran to Naruto spun and kicked, Naruto went flying, Sasuke was on him again Gun Bai raised, vines and small trees shot up out of the ground faster than any Sakura had seen him summon them before and wrapped around Sasuke’s Gun Bai trapping it effectively and rooting it to the ground.

Sasuke flipped off the annoying branches and sent four huge fireballs at Naruto simultaneously causing the Nine Tails to flex his chakra and evaporate them head on.

“Amazing.” Sakura said out loud as she watched.

“Hashirama!” Sasuke yelled.

Naruto looked up to see Sasuke flying through the air long sword in each hand, blue flames surrounding his hands, “Oh Shit.” Naruto dodged and toppled over backward his red chakra gone, eyes back to the bluest blue, mouth wide open.

Sasuke stopped in front of him right before impact and laughed in his face.

“Corpse candle blades! Really! Are you trying to kill me?” Naruto was not laughing.

“Lighten up Hashi, all in good fun right?” Sasuke patted him on the shoulder.

“Funny coming from you, being engaged sure has changed you.” Naruto started laughing now.

“Maybe it has.” Sasuke smiled and looked over to Sakura who was smiling at them.

“Call it quits for now?” Naruto asked.

“Hn.” Sasuke smiled and they walked over to Sakura who was reading something from a scroll.

“What are you reading?” Naruto asked her.

“I need to build my stamina, I need to be able to move faster and not just with my chakra. I have been researching Tobirama’s Flying Thunder God Technique but I don’t want to use formulas to do it.” She sighed.

“Ask Shisui, he doesn’t use formulas. I am very impressed with him actually. I’m proud to see there are still exceptional shinobi from the clan in the modern day of peace.” Sasuke thought for a moment. “In fact Itachi might be good to talk to as well, he is a prodigy, like Shisui, he actually reminds me of myself, in my other life.” he admitted.

“The two Anbu, I remember. Do you think they would help me?” She asked him.

“We can ask.” Sasuke said.

“Well, you two go do that, I’m going to stay here and have a talk with Kurama. He has been saying so weird stuff lately and I want to know what it means.” Naruto smiled at them.

“Weird stuff?” Sakura asked him, “Like what?” 

“Things from the past, and things that happened when I wasn't conscious of him inside of me. He says he has things he wants to tell me but won’t do it around you..” Naruto looked at Sasuke.

“Me?” Sasuke said.

“You’re an Uchiha, the only one who can control him remember?” Naruto reminded him of how they had worked together to seal the Nine Tails in Mito.

“You can control him too, with your wood release.” Sasuke pointed out.

“Subdue, not control his mind like you. I think he is worried you will try to.” Naruto said hesitantly.

“I won’t, tell him I won’t.” Sasuke said seriously, sealing his Gun Bai back into his scroll.

“I will talk to him, good luck, I will see you later maybe. I’ll dismantle the seals when I’m done.” He waved the other two away and they left.

_____________

Kakashi dropped his book from his eyes resting it in his lap. There they were. Two of them at least. He could feel their chakra signatures, moving impossibly fast! They were headed to the ...Uchiha compound. “Hum.” He picked his book back up to read, waiting for the third one to show himself.

_______________

Itachi and Shisui were sitting on the back of Shisui’s porch on the border of the Uchiha compound drinking tea and eating dango as they talked.

“Your little brother’s chakra has changed.” Shisui commented as he took a sip of his tea.

“So has Uzumaki’s and the pink haired girls.” Itachi added.

“Who else has noticed do you think?” 

“Hatake, no one else.” Itachi replied.

“Hn.” Shisui said.

“They’re coming.” Itachi tilted his head to the side.

“So they are.” Shisui grinned.

Sakura and Sasuke rounded the corner of Shisui’s house.

“Hey cuz, little flower.” Shisui greeted the two 12 year olds grinning. “What the hell have you two been doing?” He takes in Sasuke’s singed clothes and Sakura’s cut and torn kimono top.

“Sparring.” Sakura said.

“Sakura wished to speak to you about your teleportation technique Shisui.” Sasuke said ignoring the looks he was getting from his cousin and brother.

Shisui’s eyes lighted on Sakura with interest, “Does she.”

Itachi’s eyes rested on the girl as well, with interest.

“Does she have enough chakra.” Itachi asked his eyes moving to the seal on her forehead.

Shisui was looking at her forehead too. Sasuke shifted his weight and their eyes feel back on him.

“Are all you Uchiha this intense?” Sakura asked with her hand on her hip and her eyebrows raised in question.

Itachi’s mouth twitched but Shisui burst out laughing.

Shisui stood up, “Let’s see what you got kid. We’ll start small ok. What you need to know is this technique is used by using chakra to temporarily vitalise the body and move at extreme speeds. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance and elevation between the user and the intended destination.”

Sakura nodded, she understood that. “I understand,” she said.

“Just so you know it isn’t as fast as the Flying Thunder God technique, but it doesn’t require a formula either.” He felt he should give her all the information she may need. People tended to think he was faster than Tobirama or the fourth Hokage and he wasn't.

“So starting small like I said, visualize your body standing by that tree over there.” He points to a tree 10 feet away. “Focus your chakra into the chakra channels, reverse the flow and then push it out in every direction only focusing it in the direction and spot you wish to land, at the last moment.” 

He watched her face as he explained it. He could tell she understood what he was saying and was impressed. It was a complicated theory for a regular 12 year old Genin. He could tell she wasn’t a regular 12 year old Genin, but this left him with even more questions than answers

“I understand, one moment.” Sakura did as he said. A small smile on her face as she reversed her chakra and then pushed it out all over her body, closing her eyes, she stopped the flow and pushing it toward the tree, her eyes whipped open and she stumbled.

Sakura looked back over her shoulder, she wasn’t at the tree but she wasn't where she was before by Shisui’s porch. She was about half way.

“Wow.” Shisui said his mouth slightly open. “I didn’t expect you to move at all.”

Itachi was looking at her with wonder and quickly schooled his face into the bland look he was known for.

“That’s my girl.” Sasuke told her as she walked back to the porch.

“Your girl?” Shisui laughed at his young cousin.

“Yes.” Was all Sasuke said as Itachi turned to look at his younger brother, eyes inquisitive.

All heads focused back on Sakura as she closed her eyes to focus. Her body flickered and then faded away to reappear instantly by the tree. She opened her eyes and looked around. “I did it!” She yelled happily.

Sasuke smiled at her joy and accomplishment. Shisui was opening and closing his mouth. Itachi was looking at Sakura with a new, different expression.

“She is very talented.” Itachi murmured. “And intelligent.” He added.

Shisui looked at Itachi, “Yes she is, and I bet she is going to grow up to be a real hottie.” Shisui looked over at Sakura jumping up and down smiling by the tree with a grin.

Sasuke didn’t say anything but glared at both his brother and cousin.

“Sasuke? What’s wrong?” Sakura asked as she walked up to the three Uchiha.

“Nothing, let’s go.” Sasuke grabbed her by the hand and pulled her away from his grinning cousin and his brother.

“Thank you very much Shisui! I really appreciate it! Let me know if there is anything I can do for you!” She called as Sasuke all but dragged her from the compound.

“Maybe in a few years Sakura Chan!” Shisui called after her earning him another death glare from Sasuke.

Shisui laughed as he waved.

“Kakashi will want her for Anbu, if he finds out.” Itachi said,

“I’m sure he already does, did you feel her chakra spike, her reserves are larger than mine, maybe even yours Itachi.” Shisui hadn’t stopped grinning yet.

“She is...remarkable.” Itachi said looking off into the distance.

“Give it a few more years Itachi, but I think your brother has laid claim to her already, I hope he is prepared to do what it will take to keep her. A girl like that...he has no clue what he’s in for.” Shisui laughed and ran his fingers through his hair.

“A girl like that indeed.” Itachi smiles then and drinks more of his tea.

Shisui smirks at his cousin. “She is 12 Itachi.”

“Not forever.” Itachi replied smirking like Shisui..

___________

Naruto sat in the middle of the field meditating like he had seen Mito do thousands of times to talk to the Nine Tails.

“Stop laughing at me, I’m trying to concentrate to talk to you face to face, you’re breaking my concentration!” Naruto huffed at the Nine Tails

Naruto took a deep breath and tried to concentrate again, focusing on calming his heart beat and relaxing his muscles.

The field faded from view and a large open room materialized around him. Glowing red eyes watched him through tall thick bars of their prison.

Naruto opened his eyes and gasped looking around. Where am I?

“Naruto.” a deep voice almost growled at him through the bars. “Naruto.”

“Kurama?”

“Who else would be inside of you boy, or should I call you man, the First Hokage?”

“Naruto is fine, I am him now after all.”

“So it would seem, first your wife, and now you. Am I to be placed in your son or daughter next?” Kurama growled.

“I haven’t thought about that yet.” Naruto admitted honestly.

Kurama growled deeply and rose to stand at his frighteningly tall height towering over Naruto as he stood in front of his jail. 

“You imprison me in your wife! Your wife imprisoned me in your damned mother and then, your father imprisoned me in you! Of course you will imprison me in your child! DO NOT LIE TO ME NARUTO!” Kurama roared.

“You want to be free.” Naruto understood. “Did you know, Mito wanted to free you but she feared another village would trap you and use you against us, against our home our family. We couldn’t let that happen. She wanted to free you, you know that.” Naruto said.

“She gave me false hope, empty promises. I do not trust you, I was a fool to trust her.” Kurama paced back and forth behind his bars, growling and snarling at Naruto.

“If you want freedom, I have to trust you. I still worry that someone will try to seal you in someone else to use you against our village. Trust is hard won, for both sides. I can not let you free, as much as I want to, as much as you deserve but.” Naruto didn’t get to finish his sentence.

“See! You are just like her, them, I can’t trust any of you!” Kurama growled low again and dropped his head in a snarling position, his red eyes glaring at Naruto.

So much hatred, his chakra is so dark. Naruto gulps down his nervousness.

“I will let you out, give you the freedom you desire but...you will still be within me, you will still return to me, we will remain bound to one another. Trust must be earned...for both of us.” Naruto looked the Nine Tails in the eye. “Think about it.”

Kurama sat down on his haunches and looked at the boy. “I will think about it.” He growled, still wary of this new peace offering. He had been offered peace before and had been betrayed. Dare he hope this time, dare he even consider, maybe this time he might find that freedom he has desired for centuries.

“History repeats itself, this time is not different than the last. She will die again, she will die and leave you behind.” Kurama grinned an evil grin and the room faded.

When Naruto opened his eyes he was in the field again. She will die again? Who will die?

The girl, he heard Kurama laughing deep inside of him. The girl will die again and you won’t be able to save her, you or the cursed Uchiha brat, you’re doomed to live her death over and over again till the end of time. More dark laughter.

Naruto clenched his fists together and yelled, “You’re wrong Kurama! You’re wrong!”

Naruto was met with silence. No more laughing, nothing. He rose and unsealed the training ground, then tucked the tags into his zipper pocket and walked back to the village deep in thought.

_______________

Kakashi snapped his book shut and stuck it in his pouch. “There’s the third one.” He stood up and stretched his arms and legs, he had been sitting there for over three hours. Kakashi turned his face to the sky and closed his eyes. The other two were leaving the Uchiha compound. Hum. His stomach rumbled. “Time to eat.” He ran back to the village through the trees thinking all the way.

______________

Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto trained twice a day in the week leading up to the Chunin exams. Not because they were worried about making Chunin or cared, it was because they needed to train for themselves and no one questioned them when they were gone hours at a time training because of the exams. Well almost everyone.

Sakura’s parents were harassing her more and more about how she was never home, didn’t do chores or help out around the house. They complained that she never stayed for dinner, never stayed for breakfast. It was very annoying. Annoying was okay though, it only became an issue when they tried to find out who she was with and what she was doing. She had to move out. Technically, since she was a nin she was considered an adult. Most Genin didn’t move out though, because they had no money to rent an apartment or pay for food. Sakura didn’t have these problems. She sat in the cave turning the duck over the fire pit every so often thinking her situation over.

Sasuke and Naruto came just as the duck was being taken off of the fire and divided onto plates. Sakura had baked three small loaves earlier that day in her wood burning oven and set them on smaller plates, on their kitchen table. Over that past few months she had spent more time here than at her parent’s house and she decided she really didn’t need to go back there. 

“Mission scrolls can be delivered to me at my house, I know how to get in contact with you faster than anyone anyway.” Sasuke said when she had told them her thoughts and concerns.

“You have lived here before so I don’t see why you can’t live here now.” Naruto chimed in.

“Thanks.” She smiled at her boys, it would be nice to come home all the way. “Since I remembered, home, hasn’t felt like home.”

“It does take some getting used to. I was clan head and now I’m the second son. Like I said before , it does make my life easier though. I would have had to fight the council to marry you in our time but here, it doesn’t matter to them.” He smiled at her. “Which is as it should be.”

“It is hard separating the two lives sometimes, being around both of you, I forget I’m the Jinchuriki now and not Mito. Like Madara, I’m no longer a clan head, I’m not even in a clan! I have no responsibility, it is...freeing.” Naruto said with a grin.

“Like you were ever responsible to begin with.” Sasuke laughed at Naruto.

“I was responsible!” Naruto defended himself.

“Tobirama had to chase you around the village to get you to do the paperwork!” Sasuke was laughing hard now, almost doubled over.

“That’s not true!” Naruto continued to protest.

“Oh? So I imagined you breaking into my private sanctuary one morning yelling, don’t tell Tobi I’m here?” Sasuke scoffed at his friend.

“It was um, a training exercise!” Naruto lied.

“Hn.” Sasuke smiled.

“I missed so much, it’s almost not fair.” Sakura said quietly.

“We missed you too.” Naruto said softly. “Madara most of all I think.”

“Hn.” Sasuke leaned over and kissed her quickly.

“Well, I’m going to stay here tonight, you two should go home and get some sleep. The Chunin exams are tomorrow.” She started clearing the table as her boys stretched and made to leave.

She waved to them as they left the cave sealing it behind them. 

______________

“Glad you could make it.” Kakashi greeted his cute little Genin outside of the exam door. He was leaning up against the wall with his hands in his pockets.

“So, are you ready, nervous?” Kakashi asked the usual questions.

“No.” Sasuke said.

Sakura rolled her eyes and Naruto smiled.

“Do your best...don’t kill anyone Sakura, unless you have to.” Kakashi warned.

They pushed the door open and walked into the room. Sasuke stood in the middle of the doorway making eye contact with every single person individually as if he owned the room. Sakura smiled, maybe he did. 

Gaara watched Sakura cross the room with her hand in the Uchiha’s.

Ino came running over to them, “Sasuke I knew you would be here, come sit by me!’ She grabbed him by the arm and he pulled it away.

“No, I’m sitting with Sakura, go away, you’re annoying.” He said.

Ino’s mouth dropped open and she stomped off.

“You’re so charming.” Sakura smiled at him.

“Only for you.” He said.

“Clearly.” She laughed.

Sasuke could feel him watching them, he had been watching her since they had entered the room. He had ignored it but couldn’t ignore it now that he was walking toward them.

“Gaara.” Sasuke said through his teeth.

“So, you’re the Uchiha I heard would be in the Chunin exams this year.” Gaara said to Sasuke not taking his eyes off of Sakura.

“I am an Uchiha yes.” Sasuke said bored with this conversation.

“And your friend, I do not know anything about you, Sakura? Was it?” Gaara nearly purred when he said her name and Sasuke stiffened.

“Yes.” Sakura said looking at Sasuke then back at Gaara.

“What a beautiful name for such a delicate looking...flower.” Gaara said slowly as his eyes swept up and down her body.

“Enough.” Sasuke bit out in between clenched teeth. “If you have business with us then say it, if not leave before I break you.”

Gaara looked Sasuke in the eyes and laughed. “Break me...you have no Idea what you are dealing with, who you are dealing with.”

“We do, Shukaku of the Sand, Gaara of the Desert, please leave if you have no business with us. It would be a shame to ruin that pretty face of yours.” Sakura clenched her glowing fists in warning.

“So you think I’m pretty? I’m flattered.” Gaara made to step closer to her and she stepped back, he laughed. “Not so tough are you? Flower.” He walked away as Sakura grabbed Sasuke’s arm to stop him.

“Leave it. We can’t draw attention to ourselves, he is just a kid after all.” She warned him.

“One who doesn’t need to reach adulthood.” Sasuke growled.

“The proctor.” She pointed to a tall man in a long black trench coat that had appeared at the front of the room.

“I am Ibiki Morino. The first part is a test, find a seat with your name on it and sit down. If you are caught cheating, you lose two points, there are ten points total, you get the idea. If you fail, your team fails. Show me, what fine Shinobi you can be. Once everyone is seated, you may begin!” Ibiki said.

They all sat, and the test began.

Sakura turned her test over and glanced around the room. She couldn’t see Sasuke but she saw Naruto was already done with his test as were a few others. Clearly the test was designed to make you cheat, the questions were hard even for a Chunin level nin. Sakura was a little surprised how easy she found it, after all she hadn’t had any formal training. The only training she had was from the academy and her previous life, which was Hashirama and Madara, but she supposed being trained by the two world’s greatest shinobi counted.

She smirked as she saw several students around her cheating, some getting caught , others so subtle it was impressive, but she did see and wondered if the “observers” had too. The back of her neck began to tingle, someone was watching her, but she refused to turn around to see who it was in case she was accused of cheating. Was it Madara? No, it didn’t feel like his intent...it was darker, much darker and it almost made her squirm.

Gaara watched the pink haired girl squirm in her seat and smiled. She could feel his intent all the way from the back of the room? Interesting. He looked to his right where the Uchiha sat...glaring at him. Amusing. He smiled at the Uchiha and went back to watching the girl squirm in her seat.

By the end of the exam less than half of the Genin were left.

Sasuke clenched his fists as he walked beside Sakura and Naruto to the next part of the exam. The Forest of Death.

“I am Anko Mitarashi, proctor for this part of the exam. Before entering the Forest of Death, all teams will be given either a heaven or an earth scroll. Once inside the forest, the genin must take the other scroll from another team. Only those that make it to the tower in the centre of the forest with both scrolls will advance to the next stage of the exams. Sign the forms provided to you. If you die, I don’t want to get blamed. Try not to die!” She concluded with a smile and a wink.

“The Forest of Death?” Sakura huffed. “What moron came up with that name.”

Sasuke blushed. “Me.”

Naruto started laughing hard. “Tobirama said we needed a place to train and test the next generation of nin but he didn’t want to call it training ground 44th, he asked Madara to help him with a more threatening name and that’s what he came up with.”

Sakura facepalmed and giggled.

“Really Mada, how um creative.” She continued to laugh into her hand.

“I’ll tell you what I told Tobirama, you come up with something better.” Sasuke sniffed.

Sakura stood there thinking for a minute, she couldn’t come up with anything.

“Ha!.” Sasuke grinned at her.

“Fine fine, Forest of Death is a great name.” She conceded.

Another fifteen minutes found them standing with their scroll in front of the gate they would pass through into the forest. The buzzer rang and the gate opened, most of the teams ran through the gate as fast as they could but they walked through the gate casually and without hurrying.

“What is the point in running? We have five days to get a scroll.” Naruto asked as they made their way into the forest. 

“Not everyone is the reincarnated form of a founder of Konoha Naruto, some of them will need the full five days if not more, and some of them might die. Let’s just take our time.” Sasuke said calmly. He wondered where that Gaara guy and his team were. He could sense many signatures nearby but non that matched that annoying little twerp.

“Someone is coming, it feels like only one person though not a team.” Sakura raised her hand to the left. “There.”

“I’ll take care of them, I have to go to the bathroom anyway.” Naruto wandered off in the direction Sakura had indicated and came back a few minutes later with an Earth scroll. “It was a puny Rain nin.” He tossed the scroll to Sakura so she could put it in her bag with their Heaven scroll.

“Well, now what? We’re basically done and it is only two hours into the five day test.” She said.

“We can train.” Sasuke said. “Lets go a little farther into the forest.” 

“Good idea.” She smiled, she really wanted to train but it was hard to seal off large parts of the forest for hours at a time. She worried they would get caught eventually. 

They ran into a few lower level teams that ran when they saw them, only one of the teams stood up to them but ran as well after Naruto summoned 30 shadow clones to run after them. 

They settled into a small clearing by the river, it was flat and rocky but clear of most obstacles, a few trees scattered here and there, it was nice.

Sasuke threw up the seals so they wouldn’t be interrupted. 

“Mind if I work on my Water Release a bit before I join you?” Sakura asked her boys who were already squaring off.

“Hn.” Sasuke said and Naruto nodded and smiled.

She walked over to the river to draw from the open source. She was adept enough to draw water from the air around her but wanted to conserve her chakra if she could. Sakura summoned two water clones with ease. “I’m going to be practicing my Water Prison Jutsu so one of you will be imprisoned while I focus on maintaining the other you don’t disappear ok?” Her clones nodded.

Sakura inhaled and focused her chakra drawing a huge dense ball of water from the river and encasing one of her clones in it while the other clone moved into place holding the other clone in the water prison. It took more chakra than Sakura had anticipated but it was worth it. 

If she could use a clone to imprison a foe instead of her having to stand there with her hand in the prison it would leave her free to fight if there were multiple enemies.

Her chakra reserves had continued to raise day by day a little at a time but had slowed recently, it was the same for Sasuke and Naruto, she had asked them when she felt hers slowing down. It must mean they are hitting their former peak. After a few minutes of monitoring her water prison and her two clones she was confident enough to start her other training and see if she could maintain the water prison and her clones while doing so.

Concentrating hard she moved the air around her with her chakra forming a black cloud over her target , which for this practice was a rock, black rain started to fall as she pushed her chakra into the black cloud to disperse it. Once the rock was fully covered in black rain she sent a small flame jutsu Madara had taught her to ignite the flammable liquid. It burst into flames and she smiled.

Sasuke smiled as he blocked a kick to his head from Naruto. He had seen her practicing her black rain jutsu. She had come a long way even from their last life. She seemed to fit into this modern day Konoha very well.

Naruto grinned at his friend. He was sad she had picked Madara over him but he understood. He had married Mito, he had someone after her, she would want to be someone’s first, someone’s only one. He was happy for his friends, because if it couldn’t be him , it had to be Madara.

“She really is a prodigy isn’t she?” Naruto said to his friend as they exchanged blows, ducked and weaved.

“Indeed. I’m glad you convinced me to let her stay that day by the river.” Sasuke admitted.

“To think, you owe your life’s happiness to me old friend.” Naruto grinned at him.

“I will be the first to agree to that.” Sasuke hit him hard in the chest and Naruto went flying across the rocks, slamming into the invisible wall of the sealing barrier.

“You show your gratitude as oddly as ever.” He laughed and shook the dirt from his clothes.

“I like your hair better than when we were this age before.” Sasuke smirked.

“I see you’re growing your out again.” Naruto commented lightly walking back to stand next to Sasuke who had stopped giving his full attention to watching Sakura and her water prison now.

“It suits me.” He said.

“Lets catch some lunch while she finishes up.” Naruto motioned to the river.

“Hn.” Sasuke agreed.

Naruto and Sasuke had six fish cooked and ready when she had finished her water prison experiment.

“I think I can use it in battle now if I have to.” She said walking up to the fire and the fish taking a seat next to Sasuke.

“Will we be here for the rest of the five days?” She asked them.

“If you want, I don’t see the point in rushing to the tower and waiting.” Sasuke said.

“Might as well use this time to train like Sasuke said before.” Naruto agreed.

“Good, I wanted to work on my Exploding Water Shock Wave.” She smiled. “And this is the perfect place to do it, less suspicious.”

“Don’t forget to work on your Earth and Wind release too Sakura.” Sasuke said.

“I won’t.” She took a bite of her fish.

“I wonder, with your chakra control and your reserves, you might think of trying Wood release. I used to think that it could only be done with the correct genetic makeup but since I came here, in this body, which didn’t have a genetic edge for the Wood release, I changed my way of thinking. It is harder, no doubt, than it was for me in my other life but I can still do it.” Naruto opened his palm and laid it on the ground pulling up a small rose bush as he raised his hand.

“You might want to give it a try.” He smiled at her.

“Really? You think it is possible?” Her eyes sparkled.

“Well, you draw energy from the air to condense the moisture to make water where water is not already present. With your precise chakra control, it might be possible.” Sasuke frowned in concentration then his face lightened. “After all, Jutsu is limitless, why limit yourself?”

“Exactly!” Naruto smiled at her.

“I’m going to try after we eat!” She bit into her fish again, faster this time swallowing and almost choking.

“We still have four full days here love, don’t choke on your food.” He laughed and kissed her on the head.

Two days of almost constant practice and she did it. She had stopped her water and earth training, she didn’t even do any wind training, she focused all her efforts into her wood release...and it had paid off. She stood shocked, staring down at a very small, pathetic looking weed that had sprung from the ground at her feet.

“HASHIRAMA!” She yelled causing him to fall midair onto his face and send Sasuke into a panic racing to her side.

“What the hell woman!” Sasuke roared at her when he saw nothing was wrong with her.

She pointed to the small plant on the ground by her feet.

“So!” He glared at her.

“I did it.” She said barely containing her glee.

“Oh my gosh!” Naruto dropped to his hands and knees and poked the little weed with his finger.

“You actually did it, I didn’t think you could do it.” He looked up at her in awe.

“You said it was possible, why are you so surprised?” She almost huffed at him.

“Well anything is possible but I just, It was more impossible than possible.” He got up and hugged her. “This is wonderful! I’m not the only one anymore!” He started rocking her back and forth in a hug that made her dizzy.

“Let go of her oaf. Well done Sakura, this is really amazing.” Sasuke hugged her. “You look tired, you used too much chakra didn’t you, rest love, we have two days here.” Sasuke sat her down and threw a blanket over her shoulders.

“I can’t believe she did it.” Naruto was shaking head as they went to gather more firewood for the night.

“She is quite remarkable.” Sasuke smiled, he was very proud of her.

That night Sasuke woke to a disturbance in the barrier. He gently pulled his arm out from under Sakura’s sleeping form and walked to the edge on the sealing barrier and looked out into the forest. He grit his teeth yet again wishing he had his sharingan. Peace was all well and good but not for someone like him who needed tragedy to awaken his true power.

He could see faint movement beyond the barrier. Naruto came up beside him. “What is it?” Naruto asked.

“I can’t tell without my Sharingan.” Sasuke said a little impatiently.

“I feel a dark chakra, but I don’t think it is that Gaara kid.. It feels more evil, sinister.” Naruto narrowed his eyes scanning around the dark forest.

“It is coming from there.” Sasuke pointed to the densest darkest part of the forest.

“Kurama calls it the maggot. He is telling me a maggot is watching us.” Naruto’s eyes were glazed as he listened to the Nine Tails as it spoke to him inside his head.

Naruto and the Nine Tails had come to a small compromise. Naruto let him out in a half form to run around free inside the sealed training barrier they used in the forest but Kurama had to return to him once he was done. Naruto didn’t want him to get captured and sealed in anyone who would use him for ill, or against the village. It had been working very well lately, the beast was becoming more trusting and in turn Naruto had started trusting the beast more.

“Do you want to come out?” Naruto asked Kurama.

Sasuke looked at Naruto.

“He wants to come out and face the maggot. He says the maggot has tried to capture and control him twice now, he is convinced he is here to capture him again.” Naruto told Sasuke.

“Let him out then.” Sasuke said quietly moving back to where Sakura lay by their fire to wake her.

“I’m going to let you out but remember we have a deal okay? Don’t go running off or taking things into your own paws please, Kurama, I’m trusting you.” Naruto could feel the hate swirling around in his abdomen. Kurama was angry, very angry.

He felt the quelling and cold flow over him in consent and closed his eyes releasing the walls of the prison Kurama was kept in, slowly one by one lifting the bars, red chakra flowed out over his skin to pool at his feet then raise in the form of a fox. Naruto gave him a little more freedom, a little more chakra than usual in hopes of appeasing the beast, showing him he really did trust him.

Kurama stood tall beside Naruto looking out into the forest, whiskers twitching in angst as Sakura and Sasuke walked up. 

“Kurama.” Sakura said softly to the fox who bent his head to her and let her scratch his ears. 

They had become friends since Naruto had started letting him out in the training field and Kurama had often asked for her to be there when he was let out. The fox told Naruto she had a calming effect on him and blamed him for not pursuing her more aggressively and letting his friend have her.

“Sakura.” Kurama purred into her scratching but stilled as the trees started moving in the forest outside their barrier. “He’s here.” Kurama growled low.

Two glinting eyes appeared out of the dense dark before them, two yellow eyes of a snake.

Sakura took a step back but Sasuke stopped her with his hand to her back, “Do not be afraid.” He said calmly.

A dark chakra ozzed on the ground around them.

“Its, coming through the barrier? How is that possible?” Naruto looked at the ground, he could feel the dense evil around his feet.

“It isn’t as strong of a seal as the one we normally use, I did not see the need for a stronger one.” Sasuke said, eyes never leaving the yellow ones. “He can see us, he is hesitating.” 

“Orochimaru!” Kurama burst from Sakura’s side and hit the barrier with a crashing noise and was repelled backward.

Cackling could be heard from the yellow eyes as they squinted in amusement..

“Release the barrier Uchiha!” Kurama growled at Sasuke.

“Calm yourself beast and I will.” Sasuke did turn then and looked Kurama in the eye.

“If there is a beast here, it is not me but you and him.” The fox glowered and growled at Sasuke and the yellow eyes in turn.

“Kurama.” Sakura said quietly and the fox ducked his head in the slightest form of apology.

“You chose a poor mate.” Kurama said to her but nudged her with his nose. 

Sasuke, let’s let down the seal, I want to see who this Orochimaru is.” Naruto said.

“He is the former team mate of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya and Tsunade, we learned about them at the academy, he is the third Sannin.” Sakura said.

Sasuke released the seal as the white skinned man stepped forward into the moonlight.

“So nice to see you again Nine tails, and I see you have some new friends.” His voice was slow and well paced, calculated and hissed.

Sakura shivered. She had never faced a foe so dangerous before. She felt the heat of Sasuke’s hand on her back and relaxed a little, but that safe feeling vanished as soon as those yellow eyes fell on her.

“That seal girl, who taught you that?” Orochimaru’s eyes lit up, almost in happiness? Recognition.

“I taught myself.” Sakura said.

“Did you?” The man said but it wasn’t really a question.

“What do you want?” Naruto asked, Kurama pacing back and forth behind him.

“Why, the Nine tails of course, but the girl is interesting too, who is your master girl?” Orochimaru asked not taking his eyes from Sakura.

“Like hell!” Naruto summoned several shadow clones and leapt through the air at the man.

Orochimaru opened his mouth wide and snakes poured out of it slithering mass over round straight for them. Sakura and Sasuke jumped into the air but several tangled around their feet slithering up their bodies.

Sakura pushed chakra into her skin and they flew from her as she landed on a tree branch beside Sasuke who was a lot free of snakes.

“There.” She pointed to the blade coming from Orochimaru’s mouth as he lunged at Naruto who dodged and spun away.

Sasuke jumped down pulling a kanabo from his weapons scroll, slamming down on the head of the huge snake next to Orochimaru that was trying to squeeze Naruto to death.

Kurama roared and ran grabbing Orochimaru by the leg swinging him high into the air only to catch him full in the mouth a moment later shaking his head back and forth blood spattering the trees around them and the rocks below.

Snakes shot up from the ground as the seemingly lifeless body hit the ground and faded into the rocks only to manifest behind Sakura.

“Such pretty hair.” His tongue flickered out raking a wet line from her neck to her ear as he tasted her.

Sasuke raced forward, kanabo in hand ready to strike as Orochimaru shifted his weight and pulled the grass sword from his mouth stabbing Sakura in the abdomen and dropping her to the ground at his feet.

“What a shame, she was rather pretty too.” Orochimaru grinned at Sasuke as Sasuke’s eyes bled red and spun into tomes, his Sharingan awakening.

“Oh, how interesting and promising, awakening your kekkei genkai in battle.” Orochimaru looked at Sasuke with interest. “But you aren’t a normal Uchiha are you? You remind me of someone, tell me, are you the younger brother to Itachi Uchiha?”

“It doesn't matter, to you who are about to die.” Sasuke flickered behind the man and cut his throat with a kunai before he could react.

Deranged cackling could be heard around the forest as the body faded into the ground and disappeared.

“He isn't it gone, he will be back.” Kurama said angrily as he nudged Sakura’s bleeding body with his nose.

“Sakura.” Sasuke and Naruto bend low over her body.

“Not ...dead.” She gasped.

“Get off.” She moaned.

Naruto pushed Kurama’s muzzle out of her face and tried to lift her to a sitting position but was stopped by Sasuke’s hand.

“Can you heal yourself?” He asked her, her hands already growing green with chakra, but the wound was not healing very quickly, only the blood had ceased to flow.

“What did he hit me with, my wound, it won’t heal like normal.” She could barely talk she was in so much pain.

“Grass sword.” Kurama said laying down beside them watching Sakura try to heal herself.

“Shit.” Sasuke said holding her hand tight, this was bad.

“Let’s get her to the tower, if she can’t heal herself, maybe someone else can.” Naruto said hopefully.

“Look at her Naruto, we can’t move her like this, she will die if we move her. Can’t you heal her? Haven’t your healing abilities come back too?” Sasuke asked his friend.

“Barely, they aren’t what they used to be but I will try. Put the seals back up, we don’t need the interruptions.” Naruto bent over Sakura, hands moving over her wound slowly.

“It is slow but I think I can heal her enough to stabilize her and then maybe she can heal the rest.” Naruto said distractedly, he was focusing on the wound in front of him, it was bad.

“How did someone like him get ahold of the grass sword?” Sasuke wondered out loud.

“It is mine now.” Sakura said boldly. “The Kusanagi no Tsurugi, is mine.” She said and passed out.

“I don’t know if that is a good idea, Sasuke.” Naruto said.

“It is hers.” Kurama and Sasuke said at the same time.

Sasuke smiled a small smile as he looked down at Sakura. “She has earned the right to wield it.” He laid a hand on her forehead, over her Yin seal.

Sasuke bent and picked up the grass sword and wrapped it in a cloth he took from his storage scroll. He placed the now wrapped sword by her bag as Naruto continued to heal her wound.

Naruto worked for several hours before he had to take a break. Sasuke sat and watched over his friends as they slept, Kurama still free and pacing back and forth with in and around the barrier.

In the morning, Sakura sat up on her own, stretched then winced as she felt the pain in her abdomen contract against her muscles. Her hand glowed with healing chakra and she placed it to her half healed wound. 

That’s how Naruto found her when he woke and came to sit by her side apologizing that he wasn't able to complete her treatment.

“It is a hard wound, the sword makes it so I think?” She looked at him in question.

“It is a double edge blood grooved blade, it tears as it cuts, so yes.” Naruto grimaced as he said it.

“It sure feels like it did more than simply cutting through me.” She winced every now and then as the healing hit a particularly sore spot.

“That wretched scum.” Kurama growled as he flopped down beside Sakura and put his paw over her leg with affection.

“Thank you Kurama, for helping me.” She tried to scratch his ears but she could reach so he moved his head over to her arm.

“Yes, thank you Kurama.” Sasuke said seriously as he joined them around Sakura’s bedding carrying several mushrooms, some wild carrots and a deer.

Kurama bowed his head in acknowledgement to the Uchiha. He still didn’t like the brat but he did like Sakura. For her, he might try a little, to not hate him.

Sasuke cut and skinned the deer throwing the remains in the river and washing the meat before taking half and throwing it into their traveling pot with the mushrooms and carrots, setting the other half in front of Kurama, much to the fox’s surprise and delight.

“I meant it when I thanked you.” Sasuke said and walked away to light a fire under the pot.

“Hmm.” Was all Kurama said and ripped into the meat Sasuke had given him.

Sakura and Naruto shared a smile as she continued to heal herself.

They spent the day resting and eating so Sakura could finish healing then they packed up their camp and headed to the tower. Kurama back inside the confines of Naruto but with the bars released so he could come and go as he pleased within reason. Sakura had said Kurama had earned it and had advocated for his freedom much to the annoyance of Sasuke who thought it was too soon.

No one had bothered them, there hadn’t been anymore interruptions and they walked up to the tower and through the doors. Once inside they opened the scrolls and poof! Kakashi appeared before them.

“It took you the full five days?” He said without greeting and was met with scowls on the faces of his little Genin and he couldn’t help but grin.

“Oh I see, enjoy your vacation did you?” Kakashi teased.

“Yeah it was great.” Sakura grimaced as she held her abdomen.

“Are you injured?” Kakashi asked seriously with a hint of concern which surprised her.

“Ah, no, I was but it is better now.” She said. “It was more annoying than fatal.” She clarified in the wake of his raised brow.

“She’s fine.” Sasuke said.

“Hum.” Kakashi continued to look at Sakura, his eyes landing on the hilt of the sword she now wore to her back.

“Where is your katana Sakura?” Kakashi pointed to her back.

“It is in my storage scroll.” She said.

“What now Sensei.” Naruto asked trying to change the subject.

Kakashi’s attention moved to Naruto, “Well, congratulations, now we go to the arena in the tower for the next part of the exam. Follow me.”


	9. Gaara

They were lined up in rows. The Hokage, his Anbu guard, and all the elite Jounin were there watching them as the Hokage congratulated them on completing the second part of the exam, moving on to explain the third part would be matches. A generator would determine who fought who and that it would begin immediately. The Genin shuffled to the stands to wait for the first set of names to be generated.

“Are you alright?” Sasuke asked her as they made their way up the stairs to the stands.

“I’m fine just a little sore but it is ok.” She tried to smile at him. The truth was she was still in pain. The wound had been healed and most of the muscle underneath it but it was still very tender and she would have liked another day or two to finish the healing.

Sasuke frowned at her a bit, he could tell she was still in pain but he couldn’t tell how much.

Itachi frowned behind his Anbu mask. He could tell Sakura was in pain and wondered what had happened to her in the forest of death. It wasn’t any of his business though, and he couldn’t do anything about it in any case.

Gaara had been one of the first to make it to the stands and watched the pink haired girl walk slowly to the stands, the Uchiha next to her talking quietly.

Shukaku was muttering nonsense to him in his head and he tried to ignore it, concentrating on the way her pink hair floated softly around her face and over her shoulders down her back. Such a tiny thing, delicate he thought, smaller than him. Shukaku was whispering to him again, mutering and tell him how nice she would look broken and crying underneath him, how sweet her voice would sound crying out in pain and begging him to stop hurting her. He wondered how sweet her blood would taste. Gaara licked his lips as he watched her walk by him and move toward the end of the stand with her Sensei and teammates.

Naruto turned his head to see Gaara watching Sakura. Kurama was raging back and forth inside of him saying the tanuki had ill intentions toward Sakura and was urging Naruto to kill him now and quickly. Naruto tried to placate the fox telling him Sakura was safe, that she was surrounded by friends but the fox continued to pace saying over and over how he didn’t trust raccoons.

Naruto stood on the other side of Sakura, at Kurama’s demand.

The Genin looked to the generator, names spun over and over then stopped. 

A gasp escaped Sakura’s lips.

Haruno Sakura Vs. Sabaku Gaara.

“Fucking hell,” Sasuke said next to her.

He took her sword from the back and handed her her katana. He also handed her his weapons scroll and told her not to use his Gun Bai. He suggested the fan or the spear.

“Good luck, you can do this, he is nothing. He may be the One tails host but you are the hero of the Last. Don’t overdo it, love.” He smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

She pulled her headband tight and turned to walk down the stairs. Naruto smiled at her but didn’t say anything he was muttering to himself a sure sign he was in deep conversation with Kurama.

Gaara met her at the top of the stairs.

“After you, beautiful.” He said softly, carefully.

She walked down the stairs ahead of him, back straight, abdomen throbbing with every beat of her heart.

They stood in the middle of the arena facing one another. Gaara hadn’t stopped grinning since their names had appeared on the board. 

A trickle of sweat dripped from her temple and slide down the side of her face. Do I have a fever she wondered to herself? Shit. Focus.

Shisui watched Sakura sway slightly. What the hell was she ill, had she gotten hurt in the forest of death? He narrowed his eyes at Sasuke and Naruto who were both watching her with worried expressions on their faces. She had been injured then, shit.

Gaara stood in front of the small girl, he could hardly contain his excitement. She was clearly injured and clearly had a fever. Her face was flushed and she swayed slightly on her feet. Yes! Shukaku nearly danced in his head, she will be ours to rip to tear, to taste. He was delighted.

“Are you sure you’re okay to fight?” Hayate, the proctor asked Sakura.

“Yes.” She said straightening and planting her feet more firmly. “I am ready.”

“If you feel you are in danger or wish to stop, please call me and I will stop the fight.” He reminded both of them his arm raised between them then letting it drop. “Go.”

Sakura leaped forward with a chakra infused fist intending to end the match as quickly as possible. Her fist slammed into the ground in front of Gaara, sliding down and off of his sand shield that came to his guard at the first sign of impact. The ground exploded in dust and rock at their feet and she leaped back and away. My attack, it’s weaker than usual, she cringed, great.

A Sand nin waiting with the rest of the assembled elite Jounin smiled a wicked smile as he watched her dance across the arena, fists slamming into the ground, little craters erupting around her. “Tsunade.” The name hissed from his lips barely containing his snake like tongue.

Sakura leaped around the arena raising dust and rock like leaves in the wind. Gaara blocked every punch, every kick and sneered at her attempt to catch him off guard with an exploding tag attached to a kunai.

“Enough of this.” He said to himself, sending his sand out to deflect yet another kunai and another shuriken throw his way. He dragged her down to the ground mid jump with a sand whip, dragging her along the ground to him. “You’re mine.” He encased them in a huge ball of sand, cutting them off to the rest of the arena.

Sasuke and Naruto surged forward gripping the rail of the stands. “What the hell is that?” Naruto asked out loud.

“It’s his ultimate defense.” A bored voice beside them said. It was Kankuro, the guy in the black full body hooded suit with purple face paint and the blonde with the fan.

“What is he doing with her in there?” Naruto asked in a slight panic.

“Whatever he wants.” The blonde replied also bored.

“Kakashi.” Sasuke looked at their Sensei.

Kakashi was watching the huge ball of sand that had encased Sakura and Gaara, “Wait a bit, let her work her way out of it.” He turned to look at Sasuke and Naruto, “She is strong isn’t she, she knows more than she shows doesn’t she?” His question was clear.

“Yes,” Sasuke admitted.

“Then wait, trust her,” Kakashi said and continued to watch.

Sakura struggled to her feet lashing out at Gaara who had his hand to the back of her neck trying to keep her down. She kicked out at him and he went flying against the wall of the sand cave they were in.

“It’s useless to fight flower, but I understand, you won’t give in easily.” He laughed maniacally at her.

“Give in? This fight isn’t over!” She infused chakra to her hands and went after him, he dodged laughing still, tripping her with his sand she fell face first to the ground. He was on her before she could move her arms to even start to push herself up.

Gaara grabbed her arms and pressed them to the floor at Shukaku’s insistence and dropped his head to her hair inhaling the flowery scent. “You smell good.” He whispered in her ear nuzzling her neck.

“I want to taste you. I want you to scream for me.” He moved his mouth over the neck and bit down hard making her cry out in pain.

“Sakura!” She heard the muffled yell of Sasuke’s voice from inside the sand cave.

Gaara laughed, “He can’t save you.” 

She struggled underneath him trying to free her arms. He ground his hips into her backside pressing her abdomen into the ground. She screamed as pain shot through her body.

“I can smell your blood, I know you are injured, I can feel the heat of your fever. You’re going to die here little girl, but not before I have a little fun with you.” He flipped her over and she could see the gold of his eyes, the black four point star, he was possessed.

His body moved on top of hers, sand came up around her arms and legs hardening to rock locking them down. He smoothed the hair from her face, licking the side of her cheek and kissing her lips, greedy, ravenously.

“Do you like being touched? Have you ever been touched before?” He asked her softly as he moved down her body untying her sash at her waist slipping his hands up over her small breasts.

“No. I’m not going to let you!” She closed her eyes and released her seal on her forehead.

“SHANNARO!” Her scream could be heard around the arena and beyond.

The sand dome came crashing down around her, Gaara went flying out of the sand dome and hit the wall of the arena. Sakura stood panting tying her top back into place then running fast, hair flying from her sweat streaked face revealing the black lines decorating her skin. She grabbed Gaara off of the ground where he had fallen and threw him down to the ground with a chakra infused arm and the ground exploded beneath them.

“Fuck you Shukaku!” Rang out from the rubble and Gaara went flying again straight into the air. Sakura jumped into the air catching him mid fall and dropkicked him back into the ground.

She landed next to him in a crouch then stood looking down at his unconscious body, the black lines receding back into her seal that glowed purple for a moment then faded.

The Sand nin with the other Jounin nearly danced with glee at the sight of her seal.

The stands erupted in applause and shouts of congratulations and awe. Hayate announced her as the winner and she collapsed to the ground on her knees. Sasuke and Naruto were by her side in a second lifting her in their arms and carrying her to the stands dismissing the medic-nin who came to tend her.

“That’s my girl.” Sasuke smiled at her fondly as he laid her head on his shoulder holding her against his chest.

Itachi and Shisui let out identical breaths of relief and turned to one another in surprise.

The whole arena was in an uproar over the match and no one seemed to notice as the Sand nin jounin slipped out of the crowd and out of a window.

The next set of names was Hinata Hyuuga and her cousin Neji. Neji won, much to Naruto’s disappointment.

A boy named Rock Lee was next, facing Sasuke. Sasuke won easily with his Sharingan, he saw every move before the boy could even execute them.

Naruto faced Kiba Inuzuka, beating him soundly into the ground with multiple shadow clones and further enhancing his strikes by compressing it or layering different wind streams together.

When all the matches were done the Hokage addressed them formally saying the final matches, which was the final stage of the exam would be held in a month and to use their time wisely.

Sasuke picked Sakura up and walked out of the tower back to the village with Naruto, Kakashi following them at a distance. They took her to Naruto’s apartment and Kakashi followed them inside with a nod from Naruto.

“What happened in the Forest of Death,” Kakashi asked them once Sakura was settled into Naruto’s bed and sleeping.

Sasuke and Naruto shared a look.

“I might be able to help.” Kakashi offered.

“We were attacked by Orochimaru, Sakura was stabbed through the abdomen,” Sasuke said devoid of emotion.

“What?” Kakashi said shocked. “Orochimaru?”

“I’m not going to repeat myself for you.” Sasuke glared at the “older” man.

“I’m surprised, he hasn’t been seen in the village in over a decade,” Kakashi said dryly.

“He isn’t dead, he disappeared into the ground after Sasuke cut his throat,” Naruto told Kakashi.

“I awakened my Sharingan during the fight when Sakura was stabbed, I thought, she was going to die again,” Sasuke said quietly.

“Again?” Kakashi asked.

“Figure of speech,” Sasuke said calmly daring the Copy nin to counter or question him.

“Who healed her,” Kakashi asked the boys, though he already had an idea. His eyes passed over the seal on her forehead.

“She did and I did a little,” Naruto said at the same time Sasuke said. “Stop talking.”

Naruto and Sasuke glared at one another.

“We can’t keep everything in the dark, she released her seal Sasuke, in the arena in front of everyone, they will know, they aren’t stupid,” Naruto said to his friend in a reasoning manner trying to make him understand.

“I know,” Sasuke admitted. “I just thought we would have more time is all.”

“More time for what?” Kakashi asked genuinely curious.

“Peace.” Sasuke sighed.

Naruto looked at his friend’s incomplete understanding.

All three men sat silently looking at the girl sleeping in the bed.

“How many times do we have to go through this with her,” Naruto asked Sasuke.

“How many times have you gone through it with her already?” Kakashi asked them.

“Too many,” Sasuke said and touched her cheek gently with the back of his hand.

Kakashi felt a twinge of guilt at the gesture. He had misjudged these kids, partially. He had thought they were power hungry, but that wasn't it. They wanted to be strong to protect one another, to protect Konoha.

“Let me know if there is anything I can do to help.” Kakashi rose to leave. “I’ll stop following you. You come to me if you need me.” 

“Hn.” Sasuke nodded.

Kakashi nodded to Naruto and left them to look after their friend.

Sakura woke up two days later. Sasuke was in a chair by Naruto’s bed holding her hand when she opened her eyes.

“Madara.” She croaked out, her throat hurt.

“Sakura!” He breathed out relieved.

“How long, how long was I out?” She asked as he poured her a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand.

“Two days love, glad to have you back, you had quite a few people worried.” He smiled at her and helped her to sit up so she could sip the water.

“Two days!” She gasped and choked on the water.

“Easy, you haven’t had anything to eat in a while, take it easy.” He smoothed her hair down for her so she could continue to drink without it getting in her mouth.

“How were the rest of the matches, did anything else happen?” She asked him setting the glass down on the nightstand by the pitcher.

“We have a month till the final rounds of matches. Gaara was released from the hospital. He refused to tell anyone what happened while you were in the sand cave with him. We were waiting for you to wake up to ask you.” He looked at her expectantly.

“He tried to kill me.” She said but wouldn’t meet his eye.

“And?” He prodded.

“He told me he wanted to hear me scream before he killed me.” She was not going to tell him he had licked and kissed her, he didn’t need to know that.

Sasuke’s chakra swirled around him and his grip tightened around her hand.

“He dared, he dared threaten my wife, the wife of Madara Uchiha!” Sasuke growled.

“No one knows remember, no one knows who you are, who we are, so yes, he did. He thinks we are just 12 year old Genin duh.” She laughed at him.

Sasuke looked at her and calmed a bit. “Still.” He argued with her.

“Come here, tough guy.” She smiled at him.

“Don’t patronize me.” But he leaned over and let her hug him.

___________

“I think you should work on your Wind release, it is rare and no one will be expecting it,” Sasuke told Sakura several days later while they were sitting at their kitchen table in their cave drinking tea.

“Hmm.” She hummed her agreement.

“Are you sure it is a good idea? She has already revealed her seal, is it good to reveal her talent? I am the Jinchiriki and you are an Uchiha of the head family, people expect it from us. She is from a civilian family of non shinobi, I only worry it will put her on the radar.” Naruto frowned into his tea while he spoke.

“Kurama has told me he notices when people watch her, and a lot of people have been watching her since the Chunin exams last match,” Naruto added.

“Who,” Sasuke asked.

“The Anbu for one and some other people Kurama doesn’t know the names of, some old guy with bandages on him and the Hokage.”

“I’m not worried about it, it will be less suspicious as we get older and I don’t plan on hidden forever, how will I be able to protect the village if I hide my talent?” Sakura pointed out.

“True, I guess I’m just over worried.” Naruto smiled.

“Well, I need to go visit my parents, I promised them I would visit them at least once a week after I moved out.” She set her cup in the basket on the counter and pulled her coat on. “I’ll see you guys later.” She waved to them and left the cave.

Sakura walked back to the village through the forest slowly listening to the birds in the trees enjoying the cooling of the seasons. It would be fall soon and the temperatures had already started to drop in the evening. It was her birthday tomorrow, she wondered what her boys had planned for her. She let her mind wander as she walked on thinking of the events from the last month. Her match had gone well overall. It was one of the few times she had gone up against someone who wasn't one of her boys. Zabuza being the first of course and Haku being the second.

This was a new world to her, it was a new life for them all but it made her realize how much she missed in her old one. She had done more by the age of 12 years old here than her 16 years in her other life. A small smile made its way onto her face as she thought of the differences.

Looking up she saw a figure in the woods in front of her. She paused in her steps. She hadn’t felt anyone’s chakra and she was a very good sensor, which meant, they were suppressing it enough for her not to notice right away. The figure turned to her and let their chakra mask drop.

“Itachi?” Sakura called out to the figure walking toward him.

“Sakura.” Itachi greeted her as she made her way to him.

“What are you doing out here?” She asked him with a tentative smile, she had only seen him a few times and spoken to him twice, maybe three times.

“I was sending my summons to look for Sasuke. Do you know where he is?” Itachi asked her.

Itachi was tall for a 16-year-old and she was short for a soon to be a 13-year-old, she had to tilt her head back to look him in the eye. “I saw him in the village earlier.” It wasn’t a lie.

Itachi activated his Sharingan. She stood still in front of him and looked into his eyes. She had only seen Sasuke do it twice. Once as Madara and once here since he had awakened it.

“So beautiful.” She murmured then blushed.

Itachi’s mouth twitched. “You shouldn’t look directly into the eyes of a Sharingan wielder Sakura, it will enable them to catch you in a genjutsu easily that you will not be able to break,” Itachi warned her.

“Oh, Sasuke told me, I’m sorry. I’ve never seen anyone but Sasuke’s Sharingan. Yours are different, why is that?” She asked not looking away from his eyes, in fact, she had stepped closer to him looking at them more closely.

Itachi hesitated before replying, she was good friends with his little brother but the Uchiha were very closed mouthed about their kekkei Genkai with good reason. She was very close, did she realize she had moved closer to him to look into his eyes, he wondered.

“I have the Mangekyou Sharingan, Sasuke has the regular one tome Sharingan because he has newly awakened it,” Itachi told her.

“Sasuke has three tomes.” She corrected him.

“Hum, I was not aware of that,” Itachi said quietly as though deep in thought and perhaps he was.

He deactivated his Sharingan and disappointment fell over her face. His mouth twitched again, such a curious little girl he thought.

“Your performance in the match section of the exam was admirable Sakura. It had been the talk of much speculation for all who witnessed it.” He complimented her but noticed she did not seem pleased.

“I wish people would find something else to gossip about, it wasn’t that spectacular.” She kicked a small twig on the forest floor.

“You are very talented Sakura, but I already knew this from your body flicker demonstration. You pick up Jutsu quickly. You are a prodigy.” He smiled this time.

“I have never heard you talk so much Itachi.” She smiled at him and he...blushed? She smiled wider and tilted her head to the side.

“What?” He asked her noticing her scrutiny.

“You look a lot like Sasuke but also like your father. Sasuke looks more like Izuna Uchiha.” She stopped talking abruptly.

“How do you know Sasuke looks like Izuna Uchiha?” He asked her curiously.

“Sasuke told me.” She lied.

Itachi saw her quick intake of breath, she was lying, but why, it was a simple topic. What was she nervous about. Itachi resisted the urge to reactivate his Sharingan and question her further. “Well, I should find Sasuke, if you see him please tell him to come home.” 

She nodded. “I will, goodbye Itachi.”

“Goodbye Sakura.” Itachi watched her walk away from him back toward the village. She turned after a few feet and looked back at him. He continued to watch her not moving, not saying anything. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned around and kept walking. He smiled, she wasn’t intimidated by him. He could see why Sasuke was so fond of the girl. He turned back to the forest to look for his little brother, he wanted to train him and help him with his newly awakened Sharingan. Three tomes, he mused, impressive, he himself had only two when he had awakened his and most Uchiha had only one.

Sakura made her way to her parent’s house for dinner as planned and left three hours later with food packed into bags and a new book on weapons her mother had gotten her. She made her way down the near empty streets of Konoha to the forest but stopped when she felt someone watching her from the rooftops. She turned and looked to where the chakra was pulsating, her breath caught in her throat. Gaara.

“Hello, my flower.” Gaara’s deep voice greeted her a little too closely as he hopped down from the roof and landed in front of her blocking her path.

“Where are you going so late in the evening?” He leaned forward and rubbed his cheek against her face making her drop her bag of food and her book.

She squeaked and started to back away from him but his arms shot out and grabbed her around the waist drawing her to his chest.

“Let her go.” A voice said from behind them.

Shisui Uchiha stepped out of the shadows with Itachi, their Sharigans activated and focused on the Sand nin.

“No,” Gaara said and pulled Sakura close, flush against his body as she struggled against him. He lifted one hand from her waist and ran it through her hair gripping her head, pulling it back and kissed her full on the mouth making her scream in protest.

Itachi had him by the throat and slammed him into the ground before she could blink. She stood there stupidly looking at them on the ground, her mouth open in shock. He was faster than Madara.

“Are you okay?” Shisui asked Sakura who had come to stand by her side watching as Itachi grabbed Gaara’s head making him look into his red eyes.

Gaara’s body went limp and he started screaming and flailing about on the ground. Itachi dropped him and then kicked him in the gut for good measure making several quick hand signs as ropes shot out of thin air and tied the Sand nin’s hands and legs together.

“I’m ok. Thank you.” She said her hand to her heart. “I didn’t see him on the roof until it was too late.” She was embarrassed.

“We have been watching him watch your parents house from the last hour, Itachi was worried.” Shisui grinned at her, the grin turning into a smirk as he looked at his younger cousin.

“Why?” She asked Itachi, whose eyes were coal black now instead of the vibrant red.

“He follows you.” Was all Itachi said.

“Where are you going at this hour anyway?” Shisui asked looking at her bag on the ground and her jacket.

“Uh.” She paused.

“We know you no longer live with your parents,” Itachi told her.

“To the forest, I moved out after the last part of the Chunin exam.” She said.

“You live in the forest?” Shisui asked astounded.

Itachi didn’t seem surprised, he just kept looking at her ignoring the Sand nin at his feet.

“Yes.” She said a bit lamely. Crap she thought, how do I get rid of them, we should have thought this through better.

“We won’t keep you,” Itachi said to her surprise.

“We need to get him to the police anyway.” Shisui took his cousin’s cue.

“Be safe.” Itachi watched her pick her bags up and walk away to the forest.

“You know where she goes.” It wasn’t a question. Shisui looked at his cousin who had yet to take his eyes off the girl as she walked away.

“Hn.” Itachi picked Gaara up and threw him over his shoulder jumping up to the rooftops again.

“Of course you do.” Shisui grinned and shook his head following Itachi.

Sakura made her way back to the cave and set her things on the counter in the kitchen. She put the food in the food baskets and took the book and laid it on her futon. After filling the kettle with water from the pool she hung it over the kitchen fire to heat. She pulled her mug out of the cupboard and set the tea by it. Her thoughts played back the scene in her head. She wondered what would happen to Gaara, it certainly wouldn’t go over well with the police that he had attacked her on the street. She didn’t know how important he was to his village but the news certainly wouldn’t be well received.

Itachi had been watching her? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She had only ever had two friends, real friends. Madara and Hashirama. She had only ever had two love interests, Madara and Hashirama...because there had only been the three of them. She had died at 16. She wondered if she would have stayed and chosen Madara if there had been other options. She loved Madara, she knew he had lived a whole life loving her, without her. Hashirama had married but he hadn’t. She owed him her life, didn’t she? She shook the thoughts out of her head. Her water for her tea was ready.

She woke with his arms around her and she smiled. His breath was hot on her neck and she felt him move.

“Morning love.” He kissed the back of her neck and she turned in his arms to kiss him gently. 

“Morning Sasuke.” She settled more comfortably and let him hold her.

“When did you get here? I didn’t feel you enter last night.” She frowns slightly, she should have woken when he got into bed with her at least.

“Late, you were already asleep with your book on your face.” He laughed at her a little and she giggled.

“I was tired but my mom bought me a book and it got interesting right when I was about to put it down.” She smiled remembering hitting herself in the face a few times when she had fallen asleep while reading.

“Nerd.” He teased.

“I am not.” She huffed but wasn’t really upset.

“Let’s get up and get dressed Naruto should be here soon, we are going to train today remember.” He sat up taking the covers with him and she shivered.

“I need to learn the boiling water technique.” She muttered.

“You need to work on your Wind release, there is a Wind release Jutsu that surrounds the caster with warm air, you could try to figure that one out first if you want. I think it is Jounin level, you ought to be able to do it.” Sasuke grinned at her as he put his clothes on that he had laid on his old futon.

“There weren’t many Wind release scrolls in the library, I am literally going off of almost nothing.” She frowned at her pants as if they were the reason for the lack of Wind release scrolls in the Konoha library.

They were dressed and sitting at the outside table by the fire eating breakfast when Naruto arrived with the news Gaara had been given an official warning not to attack people on the streets of Konoha late last night.

“Itachi and Shisui took him in,” Naruto told them as they ate their eggs and fried rabbit meat.

“I wonder who he attacked?” Sasuke said as he took another bite of his food.

“Me,” Sakura said sighing. “It actually wasn’t that big of a deal.” She added quickly as Sasuke choked on his food and slammed his chopsticks down on the table.

“What?” Naruto said a little shocked, “He attacked you on the street?”

“Not really, he just kinda got to close to me and Itachi and Shisui took him out. Itachi used his Sharingan on him and he kinda screamed and then went limp.” She said.

“Itachi used his Mangekyo ability on him?” Sasuke asked her.

“I don’t know. I don’t know the difference really. He made Gaara look him in the eye and then Gaara started screaming and went limp.” She explained.

“Tsukuyomi,” Sasuke said. “He tortured him then, interesting.”

“What is it?” Sakura asked him.

“What else did he do Sakura?” Sasuke asked her.

“Gaara? Nothing he started screaming then fell to the ground and Itachi summoned ropes and tied him up.” She said.

“No, Itachi, what else did Itachi do,” Sasuke asked calmly.

“Uh he grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground but nothing else, it was over pretty quickly, it was...impressive actually.” She told them.

Sasuke’s eyes narrowed.” Itachi is indeed impressive. Many Uchiha compare him to me, but none were alive during our time so they really don’t know.”

Naruto shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Are we going to go train ?” Sakura asked trying to break the obvious tension.

“Yeah, let’s train, Kurama wants to get out for a bit anyway.” Naruto smiled and grabbed a piece of rabbit off Sakura’s plate.

This was their schedule for the next two weeks, they would meet up at the cave, sometimes Sasuke would stay the night, sometimes she would find him in her bed when she woke up, Naruto would come and they would go train.

Naruto had made a lot of progress with Kurama over those weeks. The fox would come out and watch them train, sometimes helping Sakura with her Wind release training, sometimes just laying with her while she rested after using too much chakra. Kurama found it relaxing to watch them spar together seeing the little bodies flip and fly through the air. He liked it much better seeing it out of his own eyes than Naruto’s or Mito’s.

Naruto eventually trusted Kurama enough to let him have his full power. Kurama didn’t bother to tell him that since he had left the bars down on his cage he had always had the ability to draw on his full power but chose not to. 

Naruto and Sasuke were in the cave at the start of the third and final week before the exam matches sharpening weapons and getting things ready. Sakura and a smaller sized Kurama were outside doing laundry and beating futons. Sakura was hanging up the rest of the laundry to dry as Kurama finished beating the futons with his tails.

She smiled at the fox who was really very sweet in nature and thanked him for his help.

“What did the Uchiha bring for dinner?” Kurama asked her as she carried the futons inside for the night.

“I’ll ask him.” She smiled.

Kurama and Sasuke had come to a certain truce as it were. Sasuke always made sure to bring enough meat with him for not only their dinner but for Kurama as well. When Sakura had asked Kurama how he got food when he was inside Naruto the fox explained he didn’t have to eat, he liked to eat. She hid her smile when she saw the twitch of annoyance in Sasuke’s eye, yet he continued to bring the fox treats even after he knew the fox didn’t need to eat.

“It’s a pig.” Kurama hummed in pleasure as he eyed the pig on the spit in front of the outside fire.

“Smells great Sasuke.” She smiled and sat down beside him.

“All the weapons are oiled and sharpened.” He told her.

“We didn’t sharpen your grass sword Sakura, it doesn’t need to be sharpened due to its unique nature,” Naruto told her.

“We need to get more exploding tags and some other small things from the stores, did you want to come with us or are you going to stay here with Kurama?” Naruto asked her.

“I’ll stay. I’m still a little tired from yesterday.” She smiled at her boys.

They had worked on their chakra strengthening yesterday. They spared and trained to near chakra exhaustion then rested. Both Naruto and Sasuke explained to her that doing this expanded your chakra reserves, that it is how they both have such large amounts of chakra at their disposal. Being born with exceptionally large chakra reserves also helped she pointed out to them but they insisted though that was true they had more due to his method of training. They encouraged her to do it twice a week over the last three weeks in hopes of expanding her already decent reserves.

Sakura hasn’t made much progress on her Wind release. She could do a small wind blast, spiraling wind blast, and snapping air bullet. It still progressed, though slowly. Wind was harder for her to learn from scrolls even though she had an affinity for it.

Sakura stood outside the sealed barrier in the forest, Kurama watched her from inside the barrier just to be safe. She had wanted to give Wind release, Devil’s speed another try and the space inside the seal wasn't big enough to do it safely. The Jutsu allowed the caster to using wind, the give a speed boost to projectiles, making them more efficient and hard to dodge. This Jutsu can also be used to boost the user's running speed for a short period of time, nearly doubling the amount of ground covered by the normal run, a very useful jutsu to have in her arsenal.

Pulling a kunai from her ouch she threw it at the target she had set up using her chakra to move the wind around the kunai as it flew through the air, then focusing it to a point to push the kunai farther and faster along its normal trajectory forcing it farther into the target, faster. That was the idea at least. Instead, it threw the kunai off balance and it fell flat against the tree to the right of her target. She huffed in exasperation.

“Again.” She told herself and picked up the kunai walking back to her starting point.

The same thing happened. “Ugh!” She ran her fingers through her hair and slammed her foot to the ground, causing the earth to quake beneath her. “Opps.”

“Having trouble?” A playful voice said from her left. She looked up to see Shisui sitting in the tree grinning down at her.

“Happy belated birthday Sakura.” He said as he hopped off the branch landing gracefully beside her.

“Thank you.” She said.

“I’m just practicing a little.” She said motioning to the target.

“Wind release, and Earth release that is impressive, two affinities in someone so young. Do you have a third?” Shisui asked her.

She hesitated and she knew he knew.” Water.”

“I am very impressed, and you can use all three?” He asked looking at her intently.

“Kinda, I’m still working on my Wind release as you saw. It is hard for me. I don’t understand why it is so much harder for me than Earth and Water.” She confided in him.

“Water is fluid and the earth is solid. You need to be forceful with earth and more flexible with water. Both are different and most would say the opposite but it isn’t true. The true opposite of both is Wind. Maybe that’s why. If it is your third affinity, it would explain why you have the most difficulty with it.” Shisui smiled at her.

“You’re really smart. Thank you, that makes me feel a little better.” Her smile reached her eyes and they sparkled.

Shisui cleared his throat, “Uh. No problem. Mind if I watch?” He asked her.

“No, but I won’t be much fun, I’m just practicing.” She laughed a little nervous at someone watching her train in something she had no idea what she was doing.

“I’ll be quiet I promise.” He grinned at her.

“Okay.” She blushed and took her kunai in her hand and threw it at the target.

Shisui activated his Sharingan and watched her.

The kunai fell flat against the other tree on the other side of her target this time and she huffed her annoyance, walking to pick it up again.

“Try letting your breath out, then throwing the kunai, inhaling when you focus your chakra then exhale as you direct it to the end of the kunai,” Shisui suggested.

Sakura thought about what he had said and it made sense. “Okay.”

She exhaled, threw, inhaled, focused. The kunai went through the target faster and up to the ring in the target. “Whoa.” She said in surprise.

“Thanks, Shisui! How did you know that would help?” She turned to him smiling.

He winked at her with his red eyes and pointed to them, “Sharingan.” He said.

She stared at his eyes and then quickly shook her head. “Sorry, I just don't get an opportunity to see the Sharingan a lot, it is really beautiful. Your tomes though, they are different from Itachi’s and Sasuke’s.”

“Each Uchiha is different, there are different levels too.” He didn’t want to give away too much but this was common knowledge. “The tomes in the eyes will change shape depending on the user's abilities.”

“Oh, that makes sense I guess.” She said still staring into his eyes. He smirked at her. “Uh, sorry.” She looked away blushing.

“You have a thing for Uchiha’s don’t you?” He teased her and she blushed a deeper red.

“It’s okay, I know we are a good looking bunch, hard not to stare at us huh?” He was smirking again.

“That’s not it, it’s just, nevermind.” How could she possibly explain to him she had had very little interaction with people until this life. He would think she was insane and they had all agreed not to tell anyone.

“What is it?” He asked playfully sitting down on the rock beside her.

She turned to look at him and the image struck her. Izuna. He didn’t look like Izuna particularly, his hair was slightly curly and brown where Izuna’s hair had been straight and jet black but the playful expression on his face and the way he sat on the rock, the rock Izuna had sat on as she had watched him through her genjutsu after she showed him her true appearance, it threw her for a moment.

Sakura grasped her hands to her chest, eyes widening and she started to back away from him.

“What’s wrong?” Shisui asked her and she gasped.

That was it, his voice, it was Izuna’s voice, the similarities unnerved her and she stumbled backward. Shisui stood and caught her as she fell back pulling her to him by the arms, her hands planting themselves on his chest to stabilize herself. His arms went around the 13-year old by reflex but quickly released her.

“What’s going on?” Naruto asked with narrowed eyes.

Naruto and Sasuke stood at the edge of the forest holding several bags glaring at Shisui.

“Shisui was helping me with my Wind release Sasuke,” Sakura told him even though it had been Naruto who had asked what was going on.

“You were hugging him,” Sasuke said quietly. His knuckles were white as he gripped the bags he held. “Every time I turn around you’re hugging someone or someone is trying to touch you or flirt with you. What the hell Sakura!” He exploded and threw the bags down stomping back to the village.

“Sasuke wait!” She ran after him leaving Naruto and Shisui alone by the river.

“What were you doing touching Sakura?” Naruto growled at Shisui.

“Look, kid, I really was just helping her out with her training. I was keeping an eye on her since that Gaara kid attacked her, end of story. She stumbled, I caught her, you’ll notice I released her immediately.” Shisui pointed out.

“Look believe me or not, I don’t care, she is too young for me, besides, I’m not the Uchiha you need to worry about.” Shisui grinned and body flickered away.

Naruto turned left then right and sighed. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” He asked no one and took the bags to the cave.

_______________

“Sasuke stop!” Sakura yelled as she ran after him.

He turned so fast she ran into him. “I told you, I have loved you for nearly two lifetimes, I never married I never wanted anyone but you and you, you, you!” He yelled at her.

“I what! What the hell do you think I was doing with Shisui!” She demanded.

“He was touching you! Like Gaara, like when he...I don’t want to talk about it right now!” His face was red his Sharingan activated.

“Like hell! You’re not going to accuse me of, whatever you are accusing me of and get to just walk away like that! Shisui caught me, he kept me from falling and then let me go! Gaara is insane and I had no control over that! You think I liked him! Are you insane!” She yelled at him.

“Sure you Uchiha are all good looking, sure your eyes are the most beautiful ones I have ever seen, no I don’t have a lot of experience with men but damn it Sasuke! You are basically accusing me of being a , a , a you know what!” She couldn’t bring herself to say it.

“I’m not.” He said stiffly.

“You are!’ She yelled back at him stomping her foot making the ground move underneath them.

He tried not to but he couldn’t help it. He grinned. “You are so adorable when you’re mad.”

“What?’ She said dangerously.

“I said come here.” He reached out and pulled her to him kissing her softly on the lips.

She stiffened in his arms but relaxed once he started to kiss her. She brought her arms up and threw them around his neck and kissed him back.

“You’re mine.” He said into her mouth.

“Yours.’ She smiled into his kiss.

Sasuke released her after a few more kisses. “Let’s get back and celebrate your birthday. I got you the Dango you like and tempura.” 

“Dango!” She smiled at him.

Itachi watched them from several trees away, his chakra sealed to nothing, eyes glowing red.


	10. Reveal

“There are so many people,” Sakura said nervously as she stood in between Sasuke and Naruto.

“I think everyone in the Fire Country is here.” Naruto looked at the stands of the main Leaf arena.

“Hn.” Sasuke agreed.

The excitement was palpable. News of a talented pink haired Genin had reached the far corners of the land and beyond. 

Kakashi stood in the stands and watched his Genin below. He could hear the talk around him. 

“They say she beat the One Tailed Jinchuuriki.” Someone whispered.

“I heard she killed the Demon of the Mist and his apprentice!” Another whisper.

“She is so small, the rumors can’t be true, I mean look at her!” More whispers.

Kakashi grinned behind his mask.

They already knew who they would be going up against, they had drawn lots before they entered the arena.

Sasuke had drawn an unknown from Sound. Naruto had drawn Sakura.

The announcements were made, the Hokage gave his speech then sat down beside the Kazekage.

Sakura followed Naruto off the floor of the arena to the stands with the other combatants. Sasuke’s match was first so he stayed behind with the unknown nin from sound.

Hayate stood beside them and waited for the spectators to calm down before he started the match.

“Go,” Hayate said dropping his arm.

Sasuke flickered behind the sound nin and activated his Sharingan, sending two kunai to the joints of the arms and flickering away across the arena floor.

“He’s playing with him,” Sakura said.

“Yeah.” Naruto laughed.

The sound nin pulled the kunai from his joints with a grunt and yelled, “Fucking Uchiha, you’re going to have to do better than that!”

“Like this?” Sasuke said. He was behind him again.

“How did you?” But the Sound nin was cut off with a kick in the back from Sasuke and went flying across the arena and into the wall. He didn’t get back up.

“Uchiha wins.” Hayate declared.

“That was quick,” Sakura said.

“When a highly skilled shinobi fights a lower skilled shinobi, it usually is. They don’t need to waste their energy on fancy moves.” Kakashi commented.

“True, but still, he could have made it last a little longer,” Sakura said as Sasuke made his way to the stands and to them.

“Gratz,” Naruto said to his friend as he leaned against the rail next to Sakura.

“He was pathetic,” Sasuke said bored.

Shikamaru Nara was fighting Temari Sabaku, Gaara’s sister next. Temari won, but only because Shikamaru ran out of chakra at the moment he would have won.

Sakura felt a spike in chakra signatures and turned to Sasuke. He nodded at her, he had felt them too. She looked to Kakashi, he hadn’t seemed to notice.

“You’re up.” Sasuke pointed to Hayate who was looking up at them expectantly.

“Focus Sakura, I don’t know what’s happening, it could be nothing, but it could also be something,” Sasuke told her as she and Naruto made their way to the arena floor.

The crowd erupted in cheers and yells. This is the match they had been waiting for.

“Nervous?” Naruto teased her as she stood facing him in front of Hayate.

“Never.” She grinned at her friend.

“Ready?” Hayate asked them smiling a little.

“Yes.” They both grinned and he dropped his hand. “Go.”

Sakura flew forward with a chakra infused punch to his feet and the ground quaked and rolled from her hit. Naruto leaped into the air and stood on the side of the arena wall with chakra infused feet.

She pushed chakra to her own feet and raced along the wall toward him at full speed, “Wind release, Wind blast!” She yelled and a quick gust of air caught him in the arm slicing through his skin and knocking him off the wall, she flew down at him as he fell pulling two kunai from her pouch and threw them at his legs, he dodges and flipped coming up behind her and grabbing her around the middle they fell to the ground together.

“OOOF!” The air got knocked out of her and Naruto laughed.

“Get off me, idiot.” She smiled and he jumped back and away.

“Water release, Water Torrent!” Sakura yelled and a huge vortex of water shot up out of the ground at Naruto picking him up and slamming him against the wall on the far side of the arena.

Cries of “Holy crap” and “That’s a Jounin level Jutsu” rang out through the stands.

Water held Naruto up against the wall and pummeled his body making it impossible for him to move. Damn it, he thought, how did she know! Tobirama always got him with his stupid move too!

Sakura was grinning as she slowly walked toward Naruto trapped against the wall. She made the hand signs for her shadow clones and two popped up, “Water release, Water pris.” But an explosion rent the air before she could finish calling forth her water prison.

She could feel it, a genjutsu was sliding along the ground knocking everyone in the stands and lower level nin out. Sasuke was by her side in a second and she released Naruto from the water whirl. 

Anbu started dropping from the roof of the arena, enemy nin dropped from nowhere and started attacking Leaf nin. Kakashi jumped in the air deflecting two nin from attacking his Genin, “Go!” He yelled at them.

“We aren’t going anywhere.” Sasuke pulled a katana from his weapons scroll and tossed it to Naruto who cut off an attacking sand nin’s arm in one fluid motion.

Sasuke pulled out a naginata for himself and turned to deflect a shuriken aimed at his head.

“We have to protect the Hokage!” Anbu yelled running for the Kage seats.

“Sakura no!” Sasuke yelled as she took off running after the Anbu.

She dropped down beside two Anbu and ran deflecting and throwing back kunai out of thin air running fast over the rooftop. She could see the Hokage in the distance, she concentrated her flow of chakra, reversed it visualized and her body flickered away and she stood in front of the Hokage deflecting a blow from a spear coming out of the mouth of the Kazekage.

“You are not the KazeKage.” She said.

“Sakura, I can handle this, go, defend the village. Kill this time, don’t hold back.” The Lord Third smiled at her.

“Are you sure Hokage Sama?” She was still looking at the Kazekage suspiciously.

“Yes, go.” The Hokage said and she did, running and jumping down in between three sand nin and a small family.

“You’re going to die, bitch!” One of the Sand nin yelled charging at her with his ball and chain out.

“Not today and not by you.” Sakura sneered pulling a kunai from her pouch sticking the end into the chain of the ball sending it flying back into the enemy nin’s head. Blood spattered across her face and she ducked the incoming blow of his comrade, jumping over his head, flipping in the air and landing on the shoulders of the third Sand nin. She grabbed his hair and kicked back and off of him throwing him to the ground where she impaled him with her sword. Standing, Sand blood down one arm and blood splattered across her face she looked to the last Sand nin before her and grinned.

She held her katana steady and straight pointed at him, “Who did you say was going to die?” Her body flickered and she came up behind him, her sword through his throat from the back, blood flowed down his neck soaking his jacket and down his legs to pool at her feet. She laughed again as she kicked him off of her sword and swung around to face the threat she had thought was behind her only to come face to face with Kakashi Hatake.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself Sakura.” He stepped aside as she lunged forward kicking another Sand nin back up against the wall behind them and slitting his throat.

A sound nin leaped at them from the roof, all she heard was the chirping of birds before a flash of light went through his chest and he fell to the ground dead, the Copy nin shaking his blood and flesh from his hand. “So messy.” He tsked and smiled at her.

“Kakashi! The Hokage!” A man with a bowl haircut and green jumpsuit flew by them running for the biggest building in the village.

“Come.” Was all Kakashi said before he was gone and running after the man. She looked to where she had left the Hokage at his request, concentrated and flickered to his side again.

“Tobirama!” She said in disbelief at the man in front of her.

“Shizuka? Is that you?” Tobirama, Hashirama’s brother stared at her, dead eyes wide in terror. “But you’re dead!”

“Hashirama is here, we were, reincarnated, so is Madara, what are you doing? How are you here!” She cried, tears falling down her face, she was terrified and confused.

“Interesting.” A white-skinned man with long black hair spoke from behind Tobirama. “So that’s why I couldn’t summon the Lord First, he was reincarnated. I looked for Madara’s body but you know, I just never found it, what a shame. Who would have thought I would run into you though. Shizuka dear, so nice to meet you. There is so little known of you, but your impact on the founding fathers is legendary indeed.” The white-skinned man drawled.

“Shizuka?” The Lord Third asked in shock.

“Now is not the time Hokage Sama.” Sakura bit out of the side of her mouth not taking her eyes off of Tobirama.

“Tobirama, “ She began.

‘Shizuka, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to kill you, it was Izuna, I was trying to kill Izuna. It was war. Please forgive me.” He almost begged.

“I forgive you, Tobi, really, everything was as it should have been. We are all here now, this is our second chance.” She smiled and he almost smiled at her but his face went dull and lifeless.

“I hate to interrupt but I’m afraid I'm on a bit of a schedule, you understand. Enough reminiscing. Kill her! Kill the Hokage! Kill them both!” Orochimaru commanded and Tobirama sprang into action.

“Water release, Water Severing Wave” a high pressure jet of water shot out of the air around Tobirama and hit Sakura square in the chest, she went flying over the side of the roof, hands glowing green with chakra healing herself as she fell and catching the side of the building with a chakra infused hand, dragging herself up and flipping herself back onto the roof beside the Hokage.

“Roof tile Shuriken” The Lord Third said, tiles erupt from the roof and flew at Tobirama pushing him back a step at a time.

Sakura infuses her hands with chakra but before she can blow open the roof beneath them, 

“Bringer of Darkness”, she hears Tobirama chant and tenses, she can’t see anything, she can feel Sasuke and Naruto moving in on her location fast but she can’t see them.

Sakura focuses her chakra into strings and tries to sense where the enemies are. “There.” She moves to block the strike but is too slow. It is just like last time, Tobirama appears behind her, his sword pushes from her back through her body breaking through the front of her chest. Not even a gasp escaped her lips.

She falls to her knees, Sasuke and Naruto fall to her side calling her name.

“Shizuka!”

“Sakura!”

“Tobi! What have you done! Not again!” Naruto cries out as red chakra swirls around him crashing into friend and foe alike.

“Shizuka, love please, not again, I can’t do this again, I won’t do this without you, not again!” Sasuke’s eyes are red and glowing, he has awakened his Mangekyo Sharingan.

“Seal. Release.” She whispers into his hair as it falls around her. She releases her seal on her forehead and thick black lines run down her face, her neck, and arms.

“Asshole.” She huffs and pulls the sword from her body tossing it aside for her own katana. The hole in her chest healing before their eyes.

“Naruto! Get that fox under control and kill that man!’ She points to Orochimaru who is standing there staring at her, with such a sick hunger in his eyes it is indecent.

“Girl, who is your master!” Orochimaru calls to her but is cut off by Naruto.

“KURAMA! ATTACK!” Naruto yells and the Nine Tails erupts from his seal roaring hatred and rage at the white skinned man before him, he slashes him once, twice and rips him in half with his jaws, one half lay on the ground under Kurama’s massive paw the other half flying past their heads to land in a bloody heap on the road below, the body sinking into the gorund yet again.

Sasuke is up and running down any Sound or Sand nin to get in his way while Sakura helps the Lord Third to stand.

“SHUKAKU!” Kurama roars and runs off to the forest where a huge tanuki was wreaking havoc crushing Leaf nin with mad glee.

“Kurama wait for me!” Naruto runs off after his Tailed beast leaving Sasuke and Sakura behind.

“Tobirama,” Sakura calls to the man. “Let’s go!” She takes Sasuke’s hand and flickers to Naruto, Tobirama uses his Flying Thunder and meets them seconds later.

“Hashirama!” Tobirama calls to his brother.

“Tobi!” Naruto runs to Tobirama crashing into him hugging him tightly.

“Hashi, is that really you?” Tobirama looks at Naruto with a half smile.

“Yes! Yes, it is! I am the Nine Tails host like Mito was, and look! He likes me!” Naruto pointed to Kurama who was raging across the forest fighting Shukaku.

“Amazing brother!” Tobirama says.

An Anbu drops down beside Sasuke. “The sound and sand have fled, this is the last battle.” He nods to Shukaku and Kurama.

“Itachi,” Sasuke says.

“Hn,” Itachi confirmed.

“You gonna die fox! I’m finally free and I ain’t goin back, no way no how! I’ma get me some of that cute little pink-haired princess yeah!” Shukaku is jumping and spinning around Kurama who is barking and growling his displeasure at the tanuki’s words.

“Like hell you are! I am going to rip you apart you damn raccoon!” Kurama charges forward calling forth his beast bomb and rams Shukaku in the gut sending him flying back across a once lush forest, letting the bomb go at the last moment. It explodes like an atomic bomb, the heat flashes out in waves and the small group watching is thrown from the trees.

When they stand Shukaku is gone, Kurama is grinning ear to pointed ear and licking his paw.

“Tobi!” Naruto helps his little brother to stand.

“You look just as stupid as a blonde as you did with that bowl hair cut when we were kids.” Tobirama wheezes out a small laugh.

“That’s not nice Tobi that’s what you say to me after all this time?” Naruto pouts at Tobirama.

“I can feel the chakra leaving me. I don’t have much time. Brother, I put your weapons scroll in your grave. The memorial one. Izuna showed it to me, I hope you don’t mind.” He turned to Shizuka and Sakura and they shook their heads.

“I would go to visit you, I want you to know that,” Tobirama said to all of them.

“Thank kami, I got to see you again,” he said as he faded away and his corpse fell to the ground.

Naruto picked him up and sealed him in a sealing scroll as tears slipped down his face.

“Is it odd, to cry for someone who already died, and died after me?” He tried to laugh but it came out as another sob.

“No my brother.” Sasuke touched his arm. “Love is timeless.” He looked at Sakura.

Shisui dropped down beside them. “Well I don’t know about you but I am really curious about you three, care to explain all um, this?” He waved his hand over the scroll Tobirama is sealed in, Kurama in the forest and the formerly glowing seal on Sakura’s forehead.

“We should discuss this in private,” Sasuke told them.

“Are you really Madara Uchiha reincarnated?” Itachi asked.

“Yes,” Sasuke said.

Itachi looked to Sakura, “Shizuka, the Hero of the Last war between the Uchiha and the Senju?”

“Yes.” She said.

Shisui whistled his appreciation.

“I’m Hashirama the First Hokage.” Naruto grinned.

“Of course you are.” Shisui ran his hands through his hair. He turns to Sakura, “So you’re not really 12 then huh?”

Sasuke scowls at him.

“Everyone okay?” Kakashi appears in a puff of smoke.

“Yeah.” Sakura smiles.

“The Hokage would like to see you three in his office, now.” Kakashi points to Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto.

“Hn” Sasuke says for all three of them and they follow Kakashi off the roof to the tower.

“So, who is our clan head now if Madara is back?” Shisui asks Itachi.

“Who said Madara wanted his title back?” Itachi asked Shisui.

“Hum, true.” Shisui smiled.

“I always thought Shizuka was a hottie, that picture in the museum, you know? She is going to be even hotter in person when she gets older.” Shisui grinned at his cousin.

“Good luck with that.” Itachi’s mouth twitched.

“Sasuke seems pretty protective of her, or Madara I mean, that is going to take some getting used to.” Shisui sighs.

“History says both the Senju clan head and the Uchiha clan head were in love with her, her death stopped the war,” Itachi said.

“We aren’t at war now,” Shisui said.

“No, we aren’t.” Itachi agreed.

“And times are different, she might not choose either one of them.” Shisui offered, watching his cousin closely.

“Maybe not.” Itachi agreed.

“They say you would have given even Madara Uchiha a run for his money with your skill and intelligence.” Shisui grinned at his cousin now.

“They do say that.” Itachi’s mouth twitched.

“Hn,” Shisui responded like the true Uchiha he is.

______________

The Third Hokage looked over the three Leaf nin in front of him. The Uchiha looked bored, the Nine Tails was grinning and the girl, looked nervous but pleased?

“So, let’s get right to the point. Thank you for your help with the invasion. There would have been far more casualties had it not been for you three.” He paused unsure how to go on.

“Did I hear Tobirama’s reanimation correctly? Sakura? He called you Shizuka?” Sarutobi asked her.

“Yes,” Sakura replied.

“The hero of the last war between the Uchiha and the Senju that ultimately led to the formation of this village?” He asked.

“Yes.” She said.

“And, you two are the reincarnations of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju?” The Hokage asked Sasuke and Naruto.

“Yes.” They replied and Kakashi made a small choking noise.

“It is, unbelievable.” The Hokage said.

“Well you don’t have to believe it, it doesn’t mean it isn’t true though.” Sasuke rolled his eyes.

“Sasuke, be patient, it is a lot to take in after all. What would we have done in such a situation?” Naruto scolded his friend.

“We would have made them prove it.” Sasuke looked to Sarutobi and pulled out his weapons scroll. “If you will allow me?” He raised an eyebrow tot he Hokage who nodded.

Sasuke unsealed his Gun Bai and pulled it from the scroll.

Two gasps were heard, Kakashi and Sarutobi.

Sasuke looked to Naruto, “Do it.”

Naruto grinned and lifted his hand, moving it from side to side and a small tree sprung from the floor of the Hokage’s office.

“Do you require further proof?” Sasuke asked, looking bored with he situation.

“Uh no. Thank you.” The Hokage inclined his head. “Uh, the question now is, What to do with you?”

“What about Sakura? She had not proven she is the reincarnation of this Shizuka.” Kakashi said,

“Now that you know who we are, I would appreciate it if you would speak to my fiance with respect.” Sasuke gave Kakashi a stern eye well beyond his age.

“I meant no disrespect, but as a Jounin of the Leaf, it is my duty to require verification, as a founder I would think you would understand,” Kakashi spoke without fear or animosity.

“Easy Sasuke. It’s not an unreasonable request. How can I prove such a thing though, I was hidden for most of my life here.” She smiled at her boys.

“The painting int the museum, she is identical. No other proof is necessary.” Sasuke said.

“We don’t want anything from the village, to answer your other question Hokage. We just want to enjoy this second chance.” Naruto said.

“Some more than others.” Sasuke looked to Sakura who smiled.

“Yes, some more than others.” She took his hand in hers and smiled at the Hokage.

“I see. This is quite a remarkable story, but I must ask, who else knows?” Sarutobi asked them.

“Itachi and Shisui Uchiha, but they will not say anything, and no one else need know, it would cause problems,” Sasuke said firmly.

“Hum.” The Hokage was thinking.

“Itachi and Shisui are unlikely to say anything.” Kakashi said, “Providing we tell them not to, they are Anbu.”

“And Fugaku?” Sarutobi asked Sasuke.

“What of him?” Sasuke asked knowing what was coming.

“Do you not wish for your position as clan head of the Uchiha?” He asked.

“No, there is already a clan head, and it would not be what is best for my clan, it would cause too much unrest. I have lived that life already, I want the one I have now, now.” Sasuke said honestly.

“Let me think about this unique situation. Clearly, you are above Genin much less Chunin but I can not promote you all to Jounin without reason in the eyes of the village.” The Hokage said.

“If I may Hokage Sama.” Kakashi interrupted again. “Why not give them Chunin now and send them on a few B and A-rank missions then promote them to Jounin.”

“Or have us privately tested with the current Jounin as a witness to our skill,” Naruto said. “That is how we used to do it, is it not Sasuke?”

“Indeed,” Sasuke said.

“Very well, I will arrange it. Until then you are uh, dismissed.” The Hokage felt strange dismissing the three who were the founders of the village, the reason for its creation.

“Such a unique situation.” Sarutobi mumbled.

“Try waking up in a 12-year-old’s body when you were last 39!” Naruto grinned at him.

“Yes, unique is not the first word that came to my mind when I woke up in this damned body,” Sasuke smirked.

“Try not remembering right away and having to see the sadness and hope in your faces!” Sakura huffed.

“You did not remember right away as they did?” The Hokage asked her.

“No, it took being stabbed through the abdomen in the Forest of Death, the same way Tobirama killed me the first time to refresh my memory.” She smiled at him.

“I knew you were injured, why didn’t you say something?” Kakashi gave her a look.

“Because we were hiding who we were, I was hiding my seal.” She pointed to her forehead. “I couldn’t tell you I got stabbed by Orochimaru and healed myself.” She scoffed at him.

“You are a healing nin, a medic?” Sarutobi asked her.

“I learned from Hashirama in our other life and perfected it in this one, yes.” She bowed slightly.

“Amazing. Just like Tsunade, or rather, Tsunade is like you.” The Hokage smiled.

“Who is Tsunade to Orochimaru Hokage Sama, he also perceived our similarities and it seemed to intrigue him in a most grotesque manner,” Sakura asked him.

“Ah.” The Hokage scratched his chin before answering. “They were the Legendary Sannin of course along with Jiraiya. Orochimaru and Jiriyah both had a fierce crush on Tsunade, she was a remarkable girl after all. Orochimaru, loved her dearly, I believe, as does Jiraiya.” He studied Sakura for a moment.

“He expressed interest in you?” He asked.

“Yes.” She grimaced.

“He will be dead soon. It is not an issue.” Sasuke said calmly.

“I see.” Said the Lord Third. “Ah, if there isn’t anything else then, I will let you know when the testing will take place. It will be some time, you understand. The village will need time to recover and the alliance that was broken will need to be investigated. I will be in contact, dismissed.”

Sakura bowed and they left followed by Kakashi. Itachi and Shisui were waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs tot he tower.

“Our identities remain what they were before the attack, do not speak of this to anyone,” Sasuke said without preamble to them and they nodded.

Sakura scowled at Sasuke, “That is no way to say such a thing Sasuke.”

“It is the way of the clan head,” Sasuke told her.

“Which you are not anymore.” She reminded him.

“It is an order given by a higher ranking Uchiha, no I am not the clan head, and I do not wish to be. I am still Madara Uchiha.” Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her. “You were never privy to the clan laws Sakura, you do not understand this is how things are and were.”

“Hey Sasuke, take it easy, she didn’t mean to question you.” Naruto tried to calm things between them.

“She needs to understand the ways of the clan, we will be married and it will be important. She doesn’t come from a clan, she never did, I am not being as strict as she thinks.” Sasuke explained.

“This isn’t the warring states era anymore, Madara Uchiha you may be, but I am still Shizuka Haruno, a clan born or not. I didn’t know you as the clan head of the Uchiha, I knew you as Mada, a friend of Hashi, best friends and the only family I had.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Sakura,” Sasuke said evenly, he knew this was the calm before the storm. “I do know you.”

“Your secrets are safe with us Lady Shizuka,” Itachi said formally and bowed.

“Indeed Lady.” Shisui bowed but was grinning like a loon which ruined it.

Sakura laughed in spite of the tension and everyone relaxed.

“Where is Kurama?” She asked Naruto who began to look around.

“I don’t know, sec.” Naruto’s eyes glazed over. “I just called him.”

Kurama came bounding up to them in a much smaller form and rubbed up against Sakura’s leg.

“Kurama!” She scooped the little Nine Tails up and scratched his ears just the way he liked it, he rolled over onto his back in her arms and let her scratch his tummy.

“The formidable Nine Tails folks.” Naruto grinned at the fox in his friend’s arms.

“He’s adorable, it’s hard to believe he killed Orochimaru by ripping him in half.” Shisui smiled at the fox.

“Orochimaru isn’t dead,” Sasuke said.

“His chakra faded, it wasn’t gone or dispersed like it is when you die. He is alive.” Sakura agreed.

Kurama rolled over in Sakura’s arms. “He will come for you. The Maggot will come for you.”

“I know.” She said and continued to pet him.

_________________

Outside of Konoha North in the Sound...

Orochimaru stood in front of the Butsudan and lit two incense, placing them in the burner before the picture of a beautiful blonde woman and bowed his head.

“Tsunade, dear. I have found your replacement. She is like you in all the ways I never thought possible.”

_________________

Later that afternoon…

Itachi stood alone looking out over the village. Something was changing he could feel it. He knew something had changed in his little brother, his friend, and the girl but he had never expected such an outcome as this. Madara Uchiha reincarnated into his little brother. Hashirama Senju reincarnated into Naruto Uzumaki the Nine Tails Jinchuriki and Shizuka Haruno into Sakura. No, he did not expect this.

Shisui dropped down beside him. “This changes a few things no?” He asked Itachi.

“No, it changes nothing. The coup will continue as planned, the Leaf must pay for injustices paid to our clan. Danzo must be eliminated, the Shimura clan must be eradicated and all those who follow him.” Itachi said calmly.

“That is over half of the village, the entire council,” Shisui said.

“Which is why it must be done.” Itachi reminded him.

“Maybe if we tell them, maybe if they knew, they would help us.” Shisui urged.

“Or they would stop us. It is not worth the risk. They must be kept in the dark.” Itachi said firmly.

“What happens when they take Konoha’s side in the civil war because we kept them in the dark and we get wiped out and Konoha remains under Danzo’s thumb, what then Itachi?” Shisui argued.

“As you say, I would have given even Madara Uchiha a challenge in skill and intelligence. I guess we’ll find out.” Itachi said turning to his cousin and best friend.

“And the girl, are you still …” Shisui stopped talking when Itachi narrowed his eyes at him.

“She is less one sided than the other two and just as intelligent. You heard her earlier. Tradition, the old ways, mean nothing to her. We might find an easy ally in her, or at the very least the voice of reason if Madara and Hashirama turn against us.” Itachi’s mouth twitched. Saying their names in the present tense would take some getting used to.

“There is almost nothing known about her, how are you so sure?” Shisui was skeptical.

“I am sure, but maybe it is time to get to know her a little better.” Itachi did smile then, turning back to look over the village from the cliff wall.

“Yeah, like I said before, that might be harder than you think. You heard them, they are engaged.” Shisui reminded his friend.

“An engagement born of fear, of a long forgotten war, she was right, times have changed, things are different now. She now has, other options.” Itachi waved his hand over the village below encompassing it. “This village is not the one the founder’s created. It is corrupt.”

“As long as you know what you’re getting yourself into.” Shisui rubbed the back of his head.

“I do,” Itachi said quietly.

_______________

“Lord Danzo.” The masked figure bowed low before the older man with bandages across one eye.

“Report,” Danzo commanded.

“The rumors are true, the girl has the monstrous strength once admired in Lady Tsunade Senju. She has the same healing prowess. I witnessed it for myself when she healed her wounds right before my eyes. The seal on her forehead allows her to fight and simultaneously sustain her life force in the face of life threatening injury and not die. She has no clan affiliation, though she is close friends with the younger Uchiha of the main house and the Uzumaki Jinchiriki.” The masked man reported.

“I see. Dismissed.” Danzo waved the man away.

“The strength and healing of the Senju, the ear of the Uchiha...just who are you Sakura Haruno,” Danzo said to himself.

__________________

Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto sat at the table by the fire pit in their cavern.

“That went well, don’t you think?” Sakura said tentatively.

“Yeah, it went great, now we don’t have to hide who we are, or were.” Naruto smiled at his friends. He was unrolling his weapons scroll that he had previously retrieved from his memorial stone in the corner of the cavern.

“It seems to have gone well, who knows what changes this will make in the village.” Sasuke was thoughtful.

“What do you mean,” Naruto asked, looking up from his scroll.

“We founded the village Naruto, we aren’t just regular elite shinobi, we know things others don’t,” Sasuke said pointedly.

“Ah, you mean the Shimura clan.” Naruto frowned.

“Hn” Sasuke nodded.

“Tell me,” Sakura said.

“Danzo never forgave Tobirama for naming Sarutobi as his successor, in the first shinobi war after your death, he was one of the first few hundred students to graduate from the academy. After Tobirama’s death, he plotted a coup to take power from the Hokage but I stopped him. I took out his entire Root division putting a stop to his clandestine ways, or so I thought. He is an old man now but I doubt he forgot his hatred of the Uchiha.” Sasuke told her.

“So if he knows you are back, reincarnated, then he will try to kill you?” She asked.

Sasuke actually laughed. “No.” He knows he can not kill me. No doubt he has been causing problems for the Uchiha since my death.”

“You need to talk to Itachi,” Naruto said.

“He must know, if there is something to know, he is Anbu is he not?” She said.

“Perhaps,” Sasuke said.

“For now, let’s see if we can find out what has been happening since my death, a lot can change in 14 years,” Sasuke said.

“It’s only been 14 years?” Sakura looks puzzled.

“I died when I was 88 years old. A little over a year before I was reborn.” Sasuke smiled at her.

“Yeah the lucky bastard, we all died younger than him.” Naruto hit his friend on the shoulder lightly.

“I left the running of the village to Tobirama after Hashirama died and traveled the world only coming back to assassinate Danzo’s father to prevent an uprising against the Uchiha and the Leaf, but I left again soon after,” Sasuke admitted.

“But why? The village needed you.” Sakura protested.

“I could not live in the village that was the dream of the two people I loved most, who had died and left me to live in it alone,” Sasuke said quietly. “I had ghosts to escape.”

“You spent thirty years alone?” She asked him, mouth open slightly.

“Yes. I protected the village from afar and met with potential clans that had an interest in joining the Leaf.” He told them.

“I feel someone close by.” Sakura looked to the cave entrance.

“I’ll go meet them, I think it must be Shisui, his signature is faint but I can sense him.” Sasuke rose from his seat.

“I’ll go with you,” Naruto said.

Her boys left and she rose to stretch. Grabbing her basket and a pruning knife she left the cave and the barrier, sealing it behind her as she turned to the river. Watercress grew along the bank and she was out of her dried supply. Cutting bunches here and there she placed them in her basket moving slowly down the bank away from the cave.

Itachi watched her make her way to where he sat along the river’s bank. She was small and graceful in her movements giving no indication that she knew he was there. When she came within ten feet of him she stopped and looked up at him, smiled in greeting and made her way to sit beside him on the bank.

“What are you doing here Itachi, quiet contemplation?” She smiled.

“I like to come to the river, it is peaceful.” He replied.

“It is. The sound of the water, the sun glinting on the surface. Sometimes I think I can see birds swimming under the surface but it is silly of me I suppose.” She laughed then.

Her laughter was light, like the tinkling of bells in a temple, an omen of peace and happiness, he thought and smiled to himself.

Sakura looked at him, he was watching the water. A hint of a smile on his aristocratic face.

“You don’t look a lot like Madara, you look more like Sasuke, who looks more like Izuna. I suppose that makes sense though, Izuna’s line is the main family line of the Uchiha now.” She said thoughtfully.

“Madara never married, never had children,” Itachi said conversationally.

“No, I suppose not.” She agreed.

“Because of you. He didn’t take a wife.” Itachi said.

“So he says.” She hummed.

“Do you not believe him?” Itachi asked her turning to look at her.

“I believe he never took a wife, but if it was because of me or not, I do not know. It could have been many things.” She said truthfully, she had thought of it since she had gotten her memories back.

“He says you are engaged, is that not out of love?” Itachi asked.

“Hashirama and Madara both wished to marry me to protect me, before. Madara had gotten the ring before I died but never had a chance to give it to me then, before I died. There was their war, I had no parents, no clan, I would have been lost without them. They made the offer of protection, they loved me, yes, but I always wondered. Did they propose out of love, or some misguided sense of obligation.” She smiled.

“I should not be talking of such things with you though. Is Shisui not with you, I felt his chakra earlier.” She asked him.

“He is speaking with Naruto and Sasuke, the Hokage has decided to test you and start sending you on missions,” Itachi told her.

“They will be looking for me soon then, I should go.” She rose to her feet and brushed the grass from her clothes.

“Did you say yes out of love or obligation,” Itachi asked her boldly.

“Both. I owe him a life.” She turned and started walking back to the cave, slowly to give Itachi enough time to leave but he didn’t. She walked into the forest toward Naruto and Sasuke, not wanting to pique his interest by disappearing suddenly.

Itachi watched her out of the corner of his eye, she was walking slowly, avoiding the entrance to the cave he knew was there. He smiled to himself, so she doesn’t want me to know. Smart girl. He left after she went to the forest in search of Naruto and Sasuke. “Both.” she had said. He could work with that.


	11. Motion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a year later and Danzo is making his move. Will his attempt to gain Orochimaru as his ally payout? Shisui and Itachi are let into Madara, Hashirama and Sakura's little circle but how close is too close for Madara? Sakura realizes that in this life there is more than the cave and she wants it. As she grows, is she outgrowing her affection for Sasuke and finding affection in someone else? What will Sasuke do if he finds out? What is Itachi really up to and why won't Shisui stop grinning?

1 year later…

“Sasuke, I have decided to join Anbu as a combat healer,” Sakura told him.

“We talked about this, you are not joining Anbu!” He said angrily. They had been having the same ridiculous conversation for over a year now.

“We talked about it but you decided on your own, I decided I am joining, they need me, they are dying out there Sasuke, they need a healer on their more dangerous missions.” She said not for the first time.

“So you are joining Anbu and will be sent only on their more dangerous missions?” Sasuke was pissed.

“Sakura, do you know what Anbu do? Tobirama set it up to be the elite assassins, they kill children if they have to, whole families, can you do that?” He asked her.

“I will be a healer, it is no different than being the combat healer that I am now.” She said forcefully.

“It is different, healer or not, you will have to kill people, I won’t let you.” He said crossing his arms over his chest.

“It is for the good of the village Sasuke, a village we dreamed of together! You would have me turn my back on people who need me, people of this village?” She didn’t say what she really wanted to say. She wouldn’t throw that in his face, but she wanted to.

“It will kill the last bit of innocence you have in your heart Sakura, these are the things Hashirama and I tried to protect you from in our other life!” He was yelling now.

“I don’t need your protection! You have done nothing but hold me back for the last year! I am a shinobi! What the hell did you train me for if not to be a shinobi! What the hell do you think I have been training for?” She was yelling now too.

“We trained you so you could protect yourself! We knew we couldn’t protect you all the time, that we couldn’t be with you all the time, we were clan heads! We had other responsibilities!” He was furious, how come she didn’t understand, had she always been his stubborn?

“So just because you aren’t a clan head, because you don’t have those responsibilities now and I have the opportunity to be more than a girl that sits in a cave waiting for your war to end, you are still going to try to hold me back?” She slammed her foot into the ground making the trees rock in their roots around them.

“I am not the scared little girl whose parents were killed anymore, I am not going to hide in a cave anymore, and I am going to join Anbu whether you like it or not! I never wanted to hide but it was the safest thing for me to do at the time, it is different now! I don’t have to hide and I don’t have to marry to be protected if one of you dies now! Don’t you understand? I want to be useful!” She had said it out of anger. She immediately felt bad after she saw the look on his face.

“What?” Sasuke said quietly, “So, the truth comes out. That’s why you won’t let me touch you, why you want to wait. You don’t want to marry me do you?”

“That’s not what I meant Sasuke.” She reached out a hand to touch his face.

Sasuke stepped back from her. “I know what you meant.” He disappeared.

“Shit.” She leaned back against a tree and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

“Why doesn’t he understand?” She said to herself. She pushed off of the tree and started walking to the river to be alone and think.

It was warm out, she took off her sandals and slipped her feet into the river laying back in the grass of the bank and closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, held it, then let it out slowly. A shadow fell over her face and she opened her eyes to see Naruto standing over her.

“I could have killed you before you opened your eyes Sakura.” He teased her.

“I knew you were there idiot.” She smiled at him and sat up.

“So, you guys fighting again?” He asked her.

“You heard?” She looked away from him.

“Sakura, everyone heard, including the Anbu who was on his way to give you this.” He handed her a scroll for a mission.

“Oh, who was the Anbu?” She asked him unrolling the scroll.

“Itachi of course, who else is brave enough to go looking for you in the forest when you could be ripping up trees or flying through the air with your chakra infused fists?” He grinned at her.

“That was one time! It was dark out and the fool had his chakra suppressed!” She tried to defend herself.

“You broke his arm and his leg!” Naruto grinned even though he was serious.

“Well he should have coughed or I don’t know clapped his hands or something, I was in the middle of shadow clone sparring! Besides, I healed him didn’t I?” She giggled in spite of herself.

“So what’s the mission?” Naruto asked, ignoring her giggling.

“It isn’t a mission, it is a summons. The Hokage wants to see me.” She frowned.

“That’s different, I’ll go with you.” He said.

“Okay let’s go.” She got up and they walked back to the village together.

“Ugh.” She could feel several chakra signatures in the office when they arrived, one of which was Sasuke’s.

Sakura and Naruto entered the office after knocking.

“Ah Sakura, Naruto, good of you to come so quickly.” The Lord Third greeted them.

“You summoned me.” Sakura bowed.

“Yes, I have a mission for you but after reviewing it with Sasuke here, I have made some changes to it.” He was looking down and didn’t see the death glare she shot Sasuke who pretended not to notice.

Itachi and Kakashi were also in the office, they noticed.

“What changes were made and why Hokage Sama?” She asked sweetly making Kakashi smile under his mask and Naruto fidget.

“Uh, it was going to be an infiltration and possible assassination mission, but Sasuke reminded me you have not formally accepted my request for you to join Anbu yet so I have changed it to a recon mission. There has been an increase of traffic in and out of Sound lately and we need to know why. We have word there is a missing Sand nin making a deal of some sort with Orochimaru and due to the new alliance with the Sand after the Chunin exams they asked for our assistance to assassinate him.” The Hokage looked up at this point smiling but his smile faded as he looked at her.

“Is something wrong Sakura?” He asked her.

“No, I accept your request to join Anbu, Hokage Sama.” She said.

“Excellent, then I will.” The Hokage was cut off by Sasuke.

“Excuse me Hokage, but I do not believe she has thought this through and will regret her decision,” Sasuke said calmly as if rehearsed.

“Excuse me but I do not believe I asked you to speak for me nor do I want your opinion Sasuke. I have made the decision on my own to join Anbu and I will.” She said to the room.

“If you do this, you will regret it,” Sasuke spoke only to her.

“Are you threatening me? I am not scared of you Madara Uchiha, so I suggest you consider your words wisely.” She took a threatening step toward him and he to her.

“Easy easy, let’s not do this here.” Kakashi stepped in between them.

“I don’t need your help Kakashi,” Sakura said between her teeth.

“He wasn’t doing it to protect you,” Itachi said to her.

“Enough of this, what is wrong with you two?” Naruto said angrily. “All you have done for the last year is fight! I thought you two were engaged.”

“What is the mission and when do I leave,” Sakura asked the Hokage ignoring Naruto.

“Uh recon of the sound, verify the identity of the missing Sand nin and the relationship to Orochimaru. You may leave tomorrow night, Itachi and Kakashi will be going with you.” The Hokage said handing her a new mission scroll with the changes.

“No,” Sasuke said. “Itachi does not need to go.”

“So, now you are telling the Hokage how to hand out missions?” Itachi asked Sasuke.

“Itachi,” Kakashi warned.

“I am telling him, you are not a good choice to go with her and Kakashi, Naruto can go,” Sasuke said to Sakura ignoring Itachi.

“Naruto can’t do recon, he is loud and obvious, the mission would fail before we left the village.” Kakashi smiled at Naruto who didn’t disagree.

“Look, I don’t care who goes, this is ridiculous, I will be at the gate to leave for the mission tomorrow night at dusk, whoever is going with me, meet me there.” She turned, bowed to the Hokage and left the office.

“I’m not sure what’s going on, but this has to stop. It is starting to interfere with missions. I trust you to take care of this on your own.” The Hokage looked at each person in turn then dismissed them.

Sasuke walked out of the office fast, following Sakura. 

Naruto ran after his friend. “Sasuke wait, let her be for a little, give her some space. Maybe talk to her after she gets back from the mission.” He told his friend.

“She doesn’t understand, she doesn’t know how dangerous it is to be in Anbu,” Sasuke told Naruto.

“Sasuke, I think you underestimate her. She didn’t go to war with us sure but she did die for us once. She did fight in the invasion last year, she knows what danger is. We have done countless A and B missions in the last year together and solo. She isn’t that fragile little girl anymore. Give her some credit.” Naruto tried to reason with him.

“I don’t want to lose her again,” Sasuke said quietly.

“How many nights have you spent fighting instead of laughing in the last year? You’re pushing her away. I may act the fool but we both know I’m not. Give her some space, talk to her when she gets back from her mission. Think about what I told you.” Naruto clasped his friend on the shoulder and walked toward the market.

Itachi watched Sakura walk toward the forest and wondered if she would be going to the river while Kakashi spoke next to him.

“I’m glad Sakura has decided to join Anbu,” Kakashi said.

“Hn,” Itachi said.

“I think she will be good at assassinations.” Kakashi elaborated.

“Hn,” Itachi said.

“She is still too young for you,” Kakashi said and pulled out his icha icha book.

“There is unrest,” Itachi said, ignoring Kakashi’s comment.

“Is he making his move so soon?” Kakashi asked, nose in his book.

“Shisui is looking into it tonight,” Itachi said.

“Is it a good idea for him to go alone?” Kakashi asked, turning the page of his book as they stood there.

“Shisui will be fine,” Itachi said. “I must go.” Itachi’s body disappeared in a murder of crows.

_____________

Sakura sat on the rock she had taken to calling Izuna’s rock and watched the water flow past her. What a terrible morning. She stretched and sent her chakra out in strings searching. Naruto and Sasuke were at Ichiraku Ramen, Shisui was in his house, Kakashi was in the park with his dogs and Itachi was...behind her?

She turned around. “Itachi?”

“Hn.”

“What are you doing here?” She asked suspiciously. Over the last year, Sasuke and Itachi had both grown apart and closer together. They were less like siblings for obvious reasons but closer as political partners, often discussing points brought forth by the council, the clans, and other village politics. It struck Sakura as odd at first, Itachi didn’t seem the political type to her but he was the current Uchiha heir, it came with the title she supposed.

As for her own relationship with Itachi, they had grown closer over the last year. He always seemed to be around when she needed him, like now.

Itachi walked up to her and held a small bag out to her.

“What’s this?” She took the bag and opened it.

“Dango and tempura, I know you like it.” He watched her, his face carefully blank. He had taken to watching her with a poker face recently devoid of expression or any type of emotion. 

“How do you know?” She smiled her thanks to him.

“It is all you purchase from the shops when you are in the market.” He said.

“How do you know that?” She tilted her head to the side considering his motives.

“I am Anbu, I notice things.” He said, face blank.

“Thank you Itachi, join me?” She pulled the containers out and set them on the grass, he came and sat beside her taking one of the sticks of Dango but leaving all of the tempura for her.

“What should I do Itachi?” She asked after they had eaten.

“About Anbu? You said, ''yes.” He replied.

“Sasuke.” She clarified.

“I am not the person to ask,” Itachi said.

“Why not, you’re his brother, in his clan, you know the situation.” She said looking at him.

“I.” he hesitated. “I am not the right person to ask,” Itachi repeated.

“Ok, I’m sorry, you’re right, it is inappropriate.” She pulled her knees up and rested her head on them wrapping her arms around her legs, watching the water.

“Do you love him?” Itachi asked her.

“Yes.” She said.

“Then marry him.” He said quietly, his throat felt tight.

“I don’t know if I love him like that anymore.” She said honestly.

“I should go.” Itachi rose to his feet taking the bag and empty boxes with him.

“Don’t go, I’m sorry, I won’t bother you with my problems. I only have two friends, Naruto and Sasuke. I guess I brought it up because I can’t really talk to either of them about this.” She apologized.

“It’s not that. You have Shisui and I too. I’m just not very good with these things. I’m sorry Sakura.” Itachi sat back down beside her.

“What would you do Itachi?” She asked him turning her head on her knees to look at him sideways.

“I will marry for love. My clan wants me to marry an Uchiha as heir but I will only marry for love.” Itachi said quietly.

“Madara said something like that to me once, when Hashirama and he proposed the idea to me, I asked if it would even be possible, me not having any bloodline or money to bring to the marriage. They told me, it didn’t matter to them, that they would make it work, but I died. This life I have now, it isn’t the life I had before. I don’t think he understands that. I am not the scared little girl hiding from the people who killed my parents now. There is no war now.” She said almost to herself.

“You are a remarkable woman, there are many who covet your skill and strength. He wants to hide you away from the world but he can’t, the world has already seen you, and you have already seen the world.” Itachi looked at her.

“Itachi.” She didn’t know what to say.

“I see you,” Itachi said tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“Thank you.” She blushed.

Itachi smiled at her. A real smile. “I should go. See you tomorrow at the gate for our mission.”

“Thank you for the food and for talking to me, it helped.” She smiled at him getting to her feet.

“We’re friends Sakura.” Itachi disappeared before she could blink.

Sasuke and Naruto came walking out of the woods a moment later. Sakura realized Itachi had been suppressing his chakra halfway through their conversation. Sasuke and Naruto came to a stop before her and Sasuke shoved a bag in her face.

“Lunch.” He said.

“I’m not hungry.” She said not taking the bag.

“It’s dumplings and Dango, not Ramen.” Naruto chimed in.

“I just ate.” She said.

“What did you eat?” Sasuke asked.

“Dango and tempura.” She said walking toward the cave.

Naruto and Sasuke shared a glance. “But you never left the forest, how did you get Dango and tempura?” Sasuke demanded.

“Why do you care?” She was being defensive she knew, but she didn’t know why.

“Who brought you food Sakura?” Sasuke asked in a dangerously low voice.

Naruto glanced back and forth between his friends.

“Hey let’s just relax ok, so what someone brought her food, who cares Sasuke, come on. It could have been Kakashi for all we know.” Naruto tried to be the peacemaker, again.

“Was it Kakashi?” Sasuke asked.

“No. It doesn’t matter who it was.” She stopped outside of the sealing border and turned suddenly.

“I’m going to the library. Her body flickered and she was gone.

Sasuke stumbled, dropping the bag of food, he had tried to reach for her to stop her from leaving.

“What the fuck is going on! She is hiding things from me!” Sasuke’s eyes bled red and his chakra swirled around him.

“Let’s just get inside and wait for her ok.” Naruto unsealed the entrance and pulled his friend through sealing it behind him.

Itachi jumped down from the tree he had been sitting in and picked up the bag of food Sasuke had dropped, then disappeared in a murder of crows, red eyes fading to coal as he flickered to the village.

______________

That evening…..

Shisui lay still on the boards of the Shimura main house’s ceiling looking down into the living room at the elder with bandages over his eye. A masked figure leaped through the window of the second floor landing without a sound.

“Report,” Danzo commanded.

“Sakura Haruno has agreed to join Anbu Sir and leaves for a mission tomorrow night with the Copy nin and the Uchiha heir, to do a recon of Sound.” The masked figure reported.

“Have The Uchiha and The Copy nin eliminated en route, three full squads, they are not to be underestimated. Send a missive to lord Orochimaru, this is what he has been waiting for. We will trade the girl for his favor.” Danzo commanded.

“Yes Sir.” The masked figure rose and leaped back out of the window.

Shisui narrowed his eyes at the man in anger. He would go so far as to not only kill Itachi but Kakashi and then trade Sakura to that maggot. He had to tell Itachi. Shisui began to slowly back out of his position when the man stood. Shisui froze.

“I know you are there Uchiha, you are not as talented as you think you are. Your pride will be your downfall.” Danzo lifts the wrapper from his eye to reveal a Mangekyo Sharingan.

Shisui’s body flickers but not before he is hit by the Amaterasu from Danzo’s eye. Shisui falls from the tree to the forest floor. He had seen the black flames coming for him, he knew he had to get to Itachi who could put them out. He knew he would be in the forest by the river, his new favorite spot.

Itachi stood and darted into the forest. He had felt Shisui’s chakra flicker then surge in agitation. He found him encased in black flames on the forest floor screaming.

“Shisui!” Itachi’s eyes bled red and he put out the flames. “Hospital, we need to get you to the hospital now!” Itachi pulled his friend up quickly but as gently as possible.

“No, Danzo..knows...this is, his doing...Itachi, Sharingan, he has a Mangekyo, I don’t know how or whose. No hospital. Sakura, please.” Shisui was in so much pain he could barely talk.

“Yes.” Itachi lifted Shisui in his arms and ran for the cave, breaking the seal easily and running inside calling her name.

“Sakura! Sakura! Please, help us, Shisui he needs you!” Itachi ran into her cavern holding his friend in his arms, he saw her by the pool in the middle of the open cavern and made straight for her, ignoring the shocked look on her face.

“How did you?” She began but looked at Shisui groaning on the floor where Itachi had laid him down. “Shisui!”

“Get me a bucket and three or four clean cloths from the house.” She pointed to her house. He ran.

She flickered to the entrance of the cave, resetting the seal and then flickered back to Shisui.

Her hands glowed green and she scanned his body. “What the hell did this, these burns aren’t from normal flames!”

“Amaterasu, it is a skill of our Mangekyo that some Uchiha have, this one was stolen, we do not know how or from who. Danzo, he did this to Shisui. Can you heal him Sakura?” Itachi crouched down beside her handing her the cloths and the bucket she had asked for.

“Of course I can but it will take time, like I said these aren’t normal burns.” She filled the bucket with water from the pool and dipped the cloths in it, wringing them then laying them over the worst of the burns. Shisui moaned in pain. “I’m sorry Shisui I will try to hurry but you will need to bear it for a little longer.”

“I’ll stand it cherry blossom.” He tried to smile at her but couldn’t quite make it, his insides felt like they were on fire, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out.

“That actually will make my job easier.” She mumbled.” I didn’t want to have to knock him out.”

She moved her hands slowly over the worst of the burns under the cloths she had laid over them, slowly, a little at a time the char and red left his skin and glowed fresh and pink with natural heat. She had to take a small break three hours into the procedure but quickly went back to healing him afterward.

Six hours later, she was exhausted but Shisui would be fine once he woke up. She had completely healed him.

“Done.” She sat back on her feet and took a deep breath, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Itachi handed her a dampened cloth and she wiped her face gratefully. “Thank you.” She smiled at him.

“Sakura, that was amazing. You truly are remarkable. Thank You.” Itachi bowed to her.

“You don’t need to thank me.” She smiled tiredly and swayed on her knees a little.

“Let me help you to bed.” Itachi stood to help her to her feet.

“Shisui first. Put him on the futon farthest to the right when you enter the bedroom.” She said.

Itachi nodded. He had looked around while she had healed Shisui. The cavern was like nothing he had ever seen or could have imagined. He had read the journals of Izuna Uchiha and how he had come across Shizuka bathing in the pool with the free falling waterfall and thought her to be a water fairy. He understood now that it was not only her beauty but the beauty of her surroundings that had led him to that thought. The underground forest, the waterfall, the entire place was like magic.

Itachi carried Shisui into the bedroom and laid him down gently onto the futon on the farthest right. Itachi stood and looked around. There were three futons in a row, pushed together to make one large bed, a firepit by the futons against the wall in the floor traditional style. Each futon had a dresser and a closet behind the head. One for each of them, he thought as he walked back out to help Sakura.

He found her still by the pool but in a dressing gown and a towel with small bath things next to her. 

“I want to take a bath before I go to bed. Would you mind going into the house, I won’t be long, the cavern doesn’t offer much privacy. I’m sorry but I’m all sweaty from healing and I don’t want to have to wash the futon later.” She smiled shyly at him.

“Hn.” Itachi turned immediately and went back into the small house to wait.

Sakura lowered herself down onto the bench and sighed in relief as the warm water pooled up around her body. She pulled her shampoo out from inside her towel and soaped her hair and body. She laid her head back against the rock floor of the cavern after rinsing and relaxed into the warm water up to her neck. Her body was tired but her mind was not.

Danzo had done that to Shisui, he had tried to kill him. Shisui hadn’t wanted to go to the hospital for fear Danzo would follow him and finish the job. What would they do, Itachi, Shisui and Madara. Shisui was an uchiha. An attack on an Uchiha was an attack on the clan. Sakura knew Madara well enough to know, clan head or not, he would want revenge. Thank goodness Itachi had gotten him to her in time or Shisui wouldn’t have made it. There was no one int he hospital that could have healed those wounds, only her. 

Itachi had brought him here. Itachi! He knew about the cave! He broke the seal! That was impossible wasn't it? Hadn’t Madara and Hashirama told her it was a seal of the Uzumaki? That only an exceptionally skilled nin could break it? Madara had admitted he wasn't able to break it ...but Itachi could, he did. She looked up into the falling water thinking furiously. What does this mean. Is Itachi really that powerful? She remembered when Itachi had grabbed Gaara by the throat, not even Madara could move that fast. She hummed in fascinacion.

Sakura sat up on the bench, pulling herself up and out of the pool, wrapping herself in her towel and walked to her house. Itachi was in the kitchen when she got there. She nodded to his shocked face at the sight of her in her towel and went into the bedroom. She opened her closet and pulled out her black kimono top and red sash with matching pants. She towel dried her hair, brushed it and let it hang down her back in dark pink stands of damp. Throwing the towel into the hamper by the door to the bedroom she dressed then padded her way out into the kitchen and sat down across from Itachi, taking the cup of tea he poured for her.

Itachi sat at the table watching her and she sat across from him, watching him.

“So, you broke the seal.” She said.

“Hn.”

“You knew about our cave.” She said.

“Hn.”

“When did find it, how did you find out?” She asked him.

He eyed her carefully in case she was about to attack him. “I followed Naruto one day, and saw with my Sharingan.” He said.

“So you knew that hand signs but it is a blood seal, how could you break it.” She said puzzled now.

“I did see his hand signs but no, I did not use blood to break it. I can’t. I broke the seal itself.” He said waiting for the attack that was sure to come now that she knew. He waited and watched her...she didn’t move.

“But, that’s impossible. It is a seal from Mito Uzumaki!” She exclaimed.

“Anything is possible. Why limit yourself?” Itachi smiled at her.

She smiled, someone else had said that to her before.

“You really are as powerful as he thought.” She said quietly.

“And you are more powerful than he gives you credit for,” Itachi said not dropping her eye contact. 

“What you did tonight, there is no one in the world who could have saved Shisui. Tsunade is dead, you are the best healer in the world, perhaps even more talented than she was.”

“You flatter me too much Itachi.” She said, shaking her head.

“You not know your worth.” He told her seriously.

“Well, I.” She didn’t know how to answer him. “I just do what I can.”

“Thank you for saving my best friend,” Itachi said taking her hand in his. “I would hate to lose him.” He wouldn’t look her in the eye when he said that last sentence but she understood.

She squeezed his hand back. “I’m glad I could help and that you are nosey and knew where to find me.” She smiled at him to show him she wasn’t angry.

“Um, please don’t tell anyone.” She said.

“I haven’t and I won’t.” He promised.

“You mean you didn’t tell Shisui when you found out?” She asked him a little surprised.

“No, Shisui didn’t know, he will now, but he won’t tell either, you have my word,” Itachi told her.

“I trust you.” She smiled.

“Thank you Sakura.” He inclined his head and took his hand back.

It was only when he had withdrawn his hand did she realize they had still been holding hands. She looked down at her now open and empty hand and frowned. She had only held hands with Madara. “Oh shit, Madara.”

She stood abruptly, almost in a panic. Itachi frowned. Was she that scared of him?

“Sakura, are you scared of Madara?” Itachi asked her rising to stand as well.

“No, of course not um, it’s just. He is very um. He won’t like that you are here, or Shisui. Shisui can’t be moved though. Oh no, what do I do. If he finds out you knew about this place already and that you broke his seal, oh no.” She began to pace the floor of the small kitchen.

Itachi didn’t like seeing her like this, “What if I explain it to him, tell him why I was following you.” Itachi offered.

“You were following me?” She groaned. “That makes it worse.”

She rubbed her face with her hands, “I can’t deal with this, he will get mad, let him get mad, it can’t be helped I guess. Stay the night, you can have the center futon. I’m going to bed.” She walked out of the kitchen to the bedroom.

Itachi paused for a moment. She wanted him to stay the night? Oh, Shisui of course, he almost hit himself in the head. He followed her to the bedroom where she was folding back the covers of the two remaining futons. She pointed at him and then at the middle futon.

“It is normally Naruto’s but he never sleeps here anymore. Shisui is in Madara’s but I’m sure he won’t kick him out if he is injured.” She lay down on her own futon and pulled the covers up and over her.

“Does Sasuke come to sleep here often? I know he doesn’t come home sometimes but lately he has been home almost every night.” He asked her.

“He hasn’t slept in his futon here in months, I have been alone.” She said quietly.

Itachi looked down at her, she looked so small under the pile of fluffy blankets. He took off his outer shirt and set aside his weapons pouch within easy reach at the head of the platform and crawled under the blankets. He lay there, particularly conscious of the girl next to him and his friend on the other side. 

Sakura’s breathing deepened and then evened out almost immediately. She was sound asleep. Itachi rolled over and watched her sleep. She looked so peaceful. Two thin wisps of hair fell down her forehead and over her eyes. He reached out and gently tucked them back behind her ear. He laid on his back, arms over his chest like he slept every night, “You are a fool Itachi.” He spoke into the dark room and closed his eyes.

Morning came and Itachi felt something soft and tickly slide across his face. His eyes sprang open and all he could see was pink. Pink? He turned his head and smelled flowers and freshwater. “Sakura.” He whispered.

He brushed her hair out of his eyes to find her curled up against his chest, her head on his shoulder tucked into the side of his neck, her hair over her face as well as his. He tried to lift his right arm but it was locked under her sleeping body, her arms hung over his chest, her legs were tangled in his and Shisui stood over them both grinning like a loon.

“Feeling better?” Itachi glared at his grinning cousin.

“Not as good as you, where the hell are we?” Shisui hadn’t stopped grinning but was looking around the room.

“Sakura’s home. I brought you here last night, she saved your life.” Itachi was trying to slowly and carefully pull his arm out from under the girl without waking her. He would like to have had a few more minutes of her draped over his body but not with Shisui standing over them grinning like he was.

Itachi got up and put his over shirt on, tucking Sakura back into the blankets and motioning for Shisui to walk with him into the kitchen.

“This is her house?” Shisui asked looking around the small kitchen.

“Wait till you see the cavern,” Itachi said smiling at his cousin’s bewildered expression.

“Cavern?” Shisui asked him as Itachi led him out of the house.

“Holy shit, this is amazing. She lives here?” Shisui was trying to look everywhere at once.

“This is the cave Shisui, from the legend,” Itachi told him.

“Wow. I didn’t think it was real! When we read Izuna Sama’s journals I thought he was maybe making it up. Wait! So then Sakura is the water fairy!” Shisui’s grin was back. “Lucky Izuna Sama.”

“Do you think we should wake her? She used most of her chakra healing you last night.” Itachi said.

“Let her sleep. We could go get her breakfast and come back?” Shisui suggested. “I owe her after all.”

“I don’t want to have to break the seal again, it was an emergency last night,” Itachi explained.

“Seal?” Shisui asked interested.

“I’ll explain later,” Itachi said.

“We could make her breakfast here, does she have any food here?” Shisui started walking back toward the house.

“I didn’t look, I only made tea last night,” Itachi said following him.

“So want to explain this morning lover boy?” Shisui teased his younger cousin.

“Nothing happened, she must have moved in her sleep, I was on my futon still.” Itachi defended himself.

“Well they are so close together, why are they so close together anyway?” Shisui asked Itachi as if he knew.

“Well they were young when they found this place, they probably wanted to sleep close together.” Itachi guessed.

“I suppose,” Shisui said as he looked through the cupboards. “Eggs and rice?”

“Sounds good, but you make the eggs, I’ll make the rice,” Itachi said looking away from his cousin.

“You can master every Jutsu, are faster than I am at the body flicker but you can’t cook a damn egg to save your life.” Shisui laughed but was shushed by Itachi as he looked to the bedroom.

“Don’t wake her up!” Itachi poked him in the stomach.

“Geez, ok lover boy.” Shisui lit the fire in the kitchen and pulled a pan off the shelves.

“Don’t call me that.” Itachi measured out the rice for the pot.

“Okay okay...snuggle bear.” Shisui dodged the spoon Itachi threw at him and picked up another pan to hit him with when they both froze.

“Having fun?” Sakura stood in the kitchen doorway with her hands on her hips.

Shisui pointed to Itachi, “He started it.”

She rolled her eyes,”Come here, I want to check you over to make sure I got everything last night.” She motioned for Shisui to sit in a chair at the table.

Her hands glowed green as they slowly passed over his body, her eyes closed feeling for any abnormalities. “Looks good, glad you made it here in time last night, any longer I might not have been able to heal you without any lasting damage. As it is, you won’t have to worry about any scars, but try not to get hit with the Amaterasu again okay? That was scary.”

“Scary for me too.” Shisui laughed. “Thanks for healing me, you’re amazing. I didn’t know there was anyone who could heal the Amaterasu.”

“It wasn’t easy, but I am glad I could, and you’re welcome.” She smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll make the tea.”

Breakfast was pleasant, Sakura told them how she had met Hashirama and Madara by the river, how Hashirama had showed her the cave and how her and Madara hadn’t liked one another in the beginning but eventually became friends.

She told them about her parents and the thieves, how they were murdered and how Madara and Hashirama had taken care of her and trained her. She told them that she had been happy then how she enjoyed making her salves and selling them to the hospital in the nearby village, she had been content with her life.

" But now you want more don't you” Shisui asked her .

“Yes”, she said “now I want more. I never realized how much more there was to life before. You have to understand, it wasn't that they were being controlling there was a war going on and I lived in the middle between the two warring compounds.”

She told them how she had met Izuna in the forest and how they were attacked by two Senju men that were passing through at the time, how Izuna had killed them. She still to this day, didn't know what would have happened if she had come across them on her own.

But the village is here now, there aren't warring Clans in the immediate area, she didn't need to hide her friendship with Hashirama and Madara.

Shisui and Itachi nodded their heads in understanding.

“I understand Madara”, Itachi said. “He liked keeping you to himself, I would too, but it's like I said before you've seen the world and now the world has seen you things can never go back to the way they were and he's having a hard time accepting that.”

Sakura frowned into her teacup that she was holding.

“That isn't the only thing that's bothering you though is it” Itachi asked her.

She shook her head “No, this attack on Shisui, this Danzo, where did he get the Mangekyou Sharingan, who did he steal it from and did he kill them in order to take it?”

“We don't know, that's what we need to find out. I assume he killed them to get it, we would have heard of the attack otherwise.”. Itachi said

Itachi turns to Shisui, “Danzo will be looking for you, he will have Root coming after you. Be careful”

“I know” Shisui ran his hands through his hair “We should get back to find out if anything has happened in the village since we've been gone. Sakura thanks again for healing me you're remarkable.” he got up and set his plate on the counter “ready?” he asked, turning to Itachi

“I'll see you this evening at the gate Itachi be careful,'' Sakura said

“Danzo will know who healed Shisui he will know that he didn't go to the hospital. You be careful as well” Itachi said as he walked out of the house. He and Shisui headed toward the entrance of the cave

Sakura unsealed the barrier for them and they left she stood there watching them for a moment before she resealed the barrier with her blood and went back into the cave to pack her things for her mission that night.

She was washing the dishes when Naruto and Sasuke unsealed the barrier and stepped inside.

She had already made the bedding up and wiped down the kitchen.

Sasuke watched her as she loaded the clean dishes back into the basket and followed her into the cave Sakura.

He asked her, “Why are there three plates and three sets of chopsticks. Who else was here?”

Sakura took a deep breath before speaking. Might as well get this over with.

”Danzo tried to kill Shisui last night with Amaterasu. With a Sharingan he stole from an unknown Uchiha. Itachi put the Amaterasu out but Shisui was so severely burned that he wasn't going to make it without medical attention. Itachi couldn't take him to the hospital Danzo would be expecting it, so he brought him here. Itachi saw Naruto unseal the cave a couple of months ago and enter, he knew about the cave he hadn’t told anyone. Shisui didn't even know. Madara, if Itachi hadn't brought Shisui to me he would have died.” She waited watching him.

“Itachi broke the blood seal of an Uzumaki,” he said quietly as though to himself, “he is indeed more talented that then I gave him credit for”

“The real question here is where the hell did Danzo get a Mangekyou Sharingan who did he get it from and why did he use it on Shisui” Naruto interrupted

“Why indeed” Madara said dangerously “I'm going to find out. I need to speak with Itachi and Shisui, Sakura, do you know where they are?”

“They left after breakfast to go into the village Itachi said he wanted to find out if anything had happened while they were gone I assume they're going to track down Danzo. Sasuke, aren’t you furious they were here?” She told them.

“We’ll talk about it later, there are more pressing issues that need to be addressed right now, let's go see if they need any assistance shall we Naruto” Madara looked to his friend.

“Absolutely,” Naruto said

“Until we find out what Danzo is up to or until the threat that he poses is eliminated, I don't want you to leave the cave” Madara told her.

“I'm not a bird you can keep in a cage Madara. I'm a Shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaves I have a mission tonight that I need to prepare for and that's exactly what I'm going to do,” she put her hands on her hips and stared at him.

“Sakura you don't understand, you weren't alive in the time that we eliminated the Shimura Clans’ first Root operatives, he made the foundation to try to undermine the Hokage system and take control of the village. I alone took out his entire Root operative roster and I killed his father. This isn't just about the village to him, it's personal. He knows how important you are to the Uchiha even if he doesn't know we are the reincarnation of our former selves, he will come after you the first chance he gets. Let Naruto, Shisui, Itachi and I take care of this please”

She hesitated. He wasn’t wrong, what he said made sense. Just this once she gave in for the good of all. They would have enough on their minds without having to worry about her roaming around the village. 

“Fine, I understand. I promise to stay here till my mission tonight.” She said. “Don’t get used to this though, I’m doing it for Itachi and Shisui too.” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a narrowed eye.

“Thank you, Sakura.” Naruto smiled at her.

“That’s my girl.” Madara smiled at her pleased she was listening to him.

“Don’t think this changes anything, I’m still joining Anbu!” She called after them as they left.

Sasuke hunched his shoulders and pretended not to hear her.

Itachi was waiting by the tower when Naruto and Sasuke arrived.

“Shisui was attacked by Danzo last night while he was spying on him.” Itachi told them.

“I know, we just spoke with Sakura at the cave. Why was Shisui spying on Danzo?” Sasuke asked.

“You know of the unrest, an informant told me Danzo had reached out to Orochimaru to plan another attack on the Leaf six months ago. Orochimaru told him to come back when he had something to offer in return for his assistance.” Itachi paused.

“Last night Shisui heard a root op tell Danzo of our recon mission tonight, Danzo ordered for Kakashi and I to be eliminated and for Sakura to be taken and offered to Orochimaru to gain his favor, he is sending three teams,” Itachi added.

“If Shisui was caught spying, he might have changed his plans.” Naruto put in.

“I doubt it, the Shimura are not known to change their course once it was set. Like father like son. His father knew I was coming, the only change he made was to add another team for defense around his compound that night. We will assume the same and do the same. Naruto and Shisui will be joining you on your mission, I will inform the Hokage.” Sasuke said.

Shisui flickered to their sides. “Danzo is in a meeting with the other council members and the Hokage right now, he is pushing for a lockdown of the Uchiha compound claiming I tried to assassinate him in his home last night, that Itachi and Sakura are accomplices and calling for all three of us to be taken into custody.”

“How do you know?” Naruto asked him.

“I spied on them.” Shisui grinned. “Danzo may own Root, but the Anbu belong to Itachi.” 

“They respect me, that is all,” Itachi said humbly.

“Is that how you were planning on eliminating the Shimura clan and the council?” Madara asked Itachi.

“I don’t need anyone’s help to do that. I was waiting for the right time.” Itachi said looking carefully at Sasuke.

“It seems the right time has found you,” Sasuke said calmly.

“We never told you what we were planning.” Shisui pointed out.

“You didn’t need to, you are Uchiha.” Sasuke scoffed.

“So what are we doing then Uchiha?” Naruto looked around the group.

“Danzo hasn’t made his move yet. He wants Itachi and I where he can take our Sharingan and tradeSakura for Orochimaru’s cooperation for an invasion and take over of the Leaf..” Shisui said.

“Well, he can’t do that if you are out of the village on a mission can he?” Naruto said looking to Sasuke.

“Right. I’ll send a missive to the Hokage telling him you will be joining them Shisui, maybe it is best if you go back to the cave in the meantime. If they send out a summons, it won’t reach you before you leave for your mission.” Sasuke said.

“What will you be doing,” Itachi asked Sasuke.

“I will keep an eye on Danzo and his Root ops while you are gone. I will send a hawk to you if anything changes, send a crow if you need to communicate.” Sasuke told Itachi and Itachi nodded.

“Perhaps Kakashi should be switched out for Shisui, it would raise questions if more than three nin went for a simple recon. I can protect Sakura.” Itachi pointed out.

“Agreed,” Sasuke said. “Itachi, I am no longer the clan head by choice, do not forget who I am, or that Sakura belongs to me.”

“I know who you are Madara, I have read your journals.” Itachi said with a twitch of his mouth.

“Of course you did,” Sasuke smirked. The kid really pissed him off, but also reminded him of himself. What a pain in the ass.

Itachi did a quick hand sign and a crow appears on his shoulder, “Let Kakashi know Shisui is taking his place for the mission tonight, I want a confirmation.” The crow flew away.

“Shisui, let’s go to the cave and wait for evening,” Itachi said with a nod to Sasuke and Naruto.

Shisui and Itachi disappeared.

“I had hoped by killing the Father and his Root would have put an end to this. I told you not to let the Shimura clan join our village.” Sasuke sighed looking to where Itachi had been just moments ago and then glared at Naruto.

“How many times do I have to apologize for that?” Naruto huffed and followed his friend down the road to the weapons district.

“Just send out some shadow clones already and keep an eye on the tower, the Shimura main house, and the Root secret entrance,” Sasuke said as they entered the market.

“How do you know it is in the same place as it used to be?” Naruto asked.

“Like father like son remember?” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Oh and Naruto, send a clone to the cave to keep watch.”

Naruto rolled his eyes. This rivalry between Uchiha was getting on his nerves. It had only gotten worse over the last year and it didn’t seem to be calming down. In fact, Naruto was just waiting for the fan to feed the flames.


	12. Impure World Reincarnation

Shisui and Itachi flared their chakra for Sakura so she could open the seal for them when they got to the cave. They quickly filled her in with the changes for the mission, their thoughts, and Madara’s plan of action. Sakura nodded and led the way back into the cavern.

They had a good three to four hours before they would have to leave for their mission. She returned to her packing that was halfway done before they had arrived. Shisui followed her into the bedroom to sit with her while she packed and Itachi set the pot over the fire for tea.

“Sakura, is there a way to use medical Jutsu to find out who an eye belonged to?” Shisui asked her from the middle futon that he was laid out on.

“Well, it depends.” She paused in her packing. “It depends on how long the current user has had it and if there are any traces of the former owner’s chakra left.”

“Has anyone reported an attack or a body with the Mangekyo Sharingan come up missing or been found?” She asked.

“That’s what bothers me the most, no, nothing.” He said.

“How many Mangekyo Sharingan are there currently, the only ones I knew of were Madara and his brother Izuna, but of course I only knew two Uchiha back then.” She smiled thinking if Izuna.

“There are only two besides me that I know of. Itachi and Fugaku. In history, only Izuna and Itachi have that ability.” Shisui said.

“Not even Madara?” Sakura asked curiously.

“Madara was known to have multiple abilities, his true abilities of his Sharingan were never recorded and he didn’t write them into his journal. The man is still a mystery.” Shisui looked at her as he sat up.

“Does he talk to you about his Sharingan?” Shisui asked her.

“No, I don’t really know a lot, only what Naruto slips out before he shushes him. He doesn’t talk to me about those things. I think he tries to protect me, but keeping me in the dark is, it feels like a wall instead of protecting me, it is keeping me out.” She hadn’t meant to say that much, it wasn’t Shisui’s business and she doubted like Itachi that he wanted to know.

“People try their hardest to protect those they love, besides, he grew up in a time that if you placed your trust in the hands of the wrong person it not only meant your death but your clans,” Shisui said fairly.

“Don’t take it personally, even now, we don’t talk much about our abilities to anyone out of the clan, it is instilled in us at birth.” He smiled at her.

“There is so much that I never knew about him. I am only finding out now the person I thought he was, is not the person he is.” She said quietly folding a shirt into her bag.

“Two years is not enough time to really know someone, so intimately as you seem to think you know one other,” Itachi said from the doorway.

“How long have you been there?” Sakura spun around and glared at him.

“Long enough to hear how you feel about Sasuke,” Itachi said quietly.

“You know how I feel?” She said sarcastically.

“I have known you for three years now,” Itachi replied.

“Almost 4 actually, isn’t your birthday next week Sakura?” Shisui smiled trying to lessen the tension.

“Yes.” She folded her last shirt into her bag and drew it shut.

“We will be on the mission for your birthday, maybe when we get back we can take you out to dinner?” Shisui smiled at her and she smiled back.

“That would be nice.” She said, attaching her weapons pouch to her belt.

Sakura lifted her head and turned her face to the door, “Sasuke and Naruto are coming.”

They walked out into the cavern to greet them.

“Danzo has two teams of Anbu out looking for the three of your right now. The Hokage told him it wasn’t necessary, that an inquiry wasn’t needed. Sarutobi refused to let the motion pass because there was a lack of evidence to prove his claim.” Sasuke told them.

“Then why are there teams out looking for us?” Sakura asked with a frown.

“It was a political compromise. Sarutobi knows if you don’t want to be found, you won’t. He also knows Danzo won’t give his claim up without a fight but is too weak to outright tell the man to go to hell.” Sasuke sighed.

“I forgot they used to be friends when they were kids but split up after Sarutobi was named Tobirama’s successor. Hiruzen still harbors feelings of friendship toward the man and won’t lay harsh hands on him.” Sasuke said.

“Kinda reminds you of us eh?” Naruto smiled at his friend.

“It does not remind me of us at all! I was not some evil mastermind hell bent on power and world domination!” Sasuke huffs.

“I’m just saying it is hard to let someone go after you have formed such a bond with them in the past.” Naruto pats his friend on the back.

“Sometimes it is necessary to break that bond in order to move on.” Sakura pointed out and Sasuke glared at her.

“What the hell does that mean Sakura?” Sasuke growled at her.

“It means, they obviously didn’t know each other, as well as they thought they did, was that not clear, Sasuke?” She said back not breaking eye contact and everyone in the cavern stilled.

“Let’s go finish making that tea Itachi, Naruto, want some tea?” Shisui said looking from Sasuke to Sakura.

“Uh sure,” Naruto said and started walking to the house with Shisui.

Shisui turned halfway there and noticed Itachi hadn’t moved, he was still standing beside Sakura.

“Itachi,” Shisui called.

Itachi didn’t turn around or move from Sakura’s side.

“It’s okay Itachi, I’ll be fine, go get some tea.” Sakura smiled at him kindly.

“Hn.” Itachi turned toward the house with one last look at Sasuke. Shisui stepped forward and nearly pulled him into the small house with him.

“What the fuck is that Sakura!” Sasuke’s face was red and he was leaning toward her with his fists clenched.

“What’s going on between you and Itachi! First, he knows where the cave is and then he breaks my seal! Don’t think I forgot he spent last night with you either!” Sasuke is yelling now.

“What are you accusing me of now! You think I told him about the cave! You think I invited him to spend the night with me for any other reason than Shisui was dying! You want to talk about something, let’s talk! Stop trying to keep me locked away from the world! Is that what this is about! You and Naruto aren’t the only ones in my life anymore and you’re jealous! Say what you mean Madara!” She yelled.

“Fine!” he exploded, “I’ll say what I mean! I want you more than I have ever wanted anything before in my entire life! I have always lived for the clan, for the Uchiha, for the village, for my little brother! Never for myself! You! You, I wanted for myself, so much that after you died I stayed and set the village up, I stayed and watched Naruto start a family, have children! I stayed and fulfilled my obligations and responsibilities, but after that was done I left. I could not stand to walk day in and day out in a place so familiar with you that it killed me, it made me sick to look at the river, I threw up the first three times I came to this cave after you died. I would sit for days in front of your grave without eating, without sleeping! I had to leave, I was wasting away without you. When you died to save our dream, to end the war, I was so proud of you, but I hated you too! How dare you do that to me! I died with you that day!”

“Madara.” She felt ashamed.

“You have no idea what it was like living a lifetime without you! I outlived you both! I was alone, surrounded by everything we had dreamed up together a constant reminder of how alone I really was. I went to Tobirama, I asked him if he knew of a Jutsu that could bring you back. He tried, but nothing worked. You were gone from me.” He stopped then, all his anger had left him.

“I loved you then, I love you now, can you not see what you mean to me. I would give you anything, everything and nothing would be good enough. My soul is breaking Shizuka, do you no longer want me?” He looked up then, meeting her eyes. So desperate, so pleading, so open. She had never seen him look at her like that before.

“Madara.” She took his hand in hers. “I do love you.”

He grabbed her and hugged her tightly against his chest. “Forgive me, please, forgive me. I just fear, my worst fear is being without you again, I can’t.” He sobbed into her hair. “I can’t do it again, I almost went mad last time, I can’t watch you die again!”

She could barely breathe he was holding her so tightly. “Trust me.” She said into his hair by his ear. 

“Trust that I won’t do something foolish, trust in my abilities, but let me live Madara, you can’t lock me away to keep me safe, that is not a life.” She whispered to him.

He nodded into her hair and pressed his face into her neck, “I’m sorry I just, you have to understand what it was like without you.”

“I’m sorry Madara. I promise to be careful. This is a second chance for both of us though, try to remember that.” She said gently and he slowly released her.

“There is nothing going on between Itachi and I. We are just friends, he knew I was upset, don’t read into it too much Madara. It is nothing, we are just friends.” She tried to explain.

He nodded. “I trust you.” He said to her. I don’t trust him, he said to himself

“So does, does this mean we are okay?” He looked down at her cupping her face between his hands.

“Let’s talk again after we get this whole Danzo thing sorted out okay? There are more important things going on right now. We need to make sure the village is safe, the Uchiha are safe.” She knew it was not the answer he wanted to hear but she was being honest.

He took a deep breath, he was trying. 

“I understand. I can wait.” He let out a shaky breath, he had waited this long, he could wait a little more. She hadn’t had a lifetime like he had to think about it, to know it was what she really wanted. He could give her that, give her time to figure it out.

“Thanks, Sasuke.” She kissed him gently once and stepped out of his arms.

He didn’t like that. He didn’t like that she was moving away from him but he let her. He would do whatever he had to, to make her see, to show her he would do anything for her.

_____________

Inside the house…………….

Shisui watched Itachi as they listened to the angry shouting. Itachi’s brow was furrowed in concentration. 

Shit thought Shisui, He has more than just a small crush on her. Itachi got up from the chair at the table and poured himself a cup of tea and sat back down at the table without looking at anyone or anything else. 

Naruto was fidgeting with his own cup as the yelling continued.

“You have no idea what it was like living a lifetime without you!” came to them in the form of Sasuke’s voice from the cavern and Itachi cringed visibly.

Shisui had never seen his cousin react so emotionally over anything in their lives. This was very bad.

Eventually, the yelling had stopped and low murmuring could be heard but nothing distinguished. The look of pure dread on Itachi’s face was disturbing to Shisui.

“Do you think it is safe to go out there now?” Naruto asked them.

“Let them have their moment, I would stay here,” Shisui said still looking at his cousin.

“Yeah, if they are making up I don’t want to walk in on that if you know what I mean.” Naruto laughed.

Itachi rose from his seat and slammed his full teacup on the counter spilling tea everywhere and left the kitchen for the bedroom.

“What the hell is his problem?” Naruto grumbled.

Shisui didn’t answer, instead, he watched the remaining tea slip out of the cracks of the now ruined cup.

_______________

They left at dusk. Shisui cast a high level multi layer genjutsu over them and they slipped out of Konoha forest and away under the nose of three Root squads and two half hearted Anbu squads. Shisui smiled to himself, child’s play.

Itachi watched her as they ran through the trees toward Sound. She hadn’t gotten enough rest from healing Shisui, she hadn’t eaten enough. The fight with Sasuke had drained her. This was not a good way to start a mission, a dangerous mission. Itachi caught Shisui’s eye. “Let’s stop at the Valley of the End before we reach Sound.”

Shisui nodded, he had seen how tired Sakura was as well.

The morning was breaking as they made camp. They had found a small shallow cave in the cliffs overlooking the Valley of the End. The high rocks towered above and below them. Sakura thought how nice it would look with some statues carved into the opposing sides of the cliffs by the waterfall but there weren’t any and she doubted anyone would ever want to take on such a difficult task. Her eyes started to close and she struggled to keep them open. She didn’t want to be a burden on the team.

“Sakura.” Itachi said gently taking her by the hand and leading her to the bedroll he had laid out for her, “Get some rest, I will watch over you.”

She smiled her thanks to him and laid down. He pulled the blanket up and over her tucking the ends in around her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

Shisui watched his cousin with a grimace. Did he not hear the yelling, Shisui thought, doesn’t he understand, even if she had changed her mind, pursuing Sakura was a death wish. Of course, Itachi had never worried about dying.

Itachi joined his cousin by the fire sitting across from him so he could keep an eye on Sakura.

“She is taken Itachi,” Shisui warned.

“She didn’t say yes, she said they would talk again, that is not compliance.” Itachi countered.

“Did you not hear the conversation cousin, he is madly in love with her, what woman would turn down Madara Uchiha?” Shisui wanted to smack his cousin across the face to get him to look away from the girl.

“She did,” Itachi smirked.

“She didn’t, she basically asked him to put it on hold, she didn’t turn him down.” Shisui felt the need to point this out.

“Same thing to an Uchiha.” Itachi was still smirking.

Shisui couldn’t argue that, so he didn’t. Itachi’s smirk grew. This was bad.

“Just, focus on the mission, let’s not forget, Orochimaru has an obsession of his own with her. She reminds him of Lady Tsunade, remember the informant told us he is determined to capture her.” Shisui said.

“I am aware,” Itachi replied.

“Can we trust Kabuto do you think Itachi, he has been with Orochimaru these past five years, it is a long time and Orochimaru is cunning,” Shisui asked.

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Itachi said and picked up a skewer of meat from the grill by the fire.

Five hours later when they were packing up camp a messenger hawk pecked at their genjutsu Shisui had placed on their cave.

It was a message from Sasuke :

Danzo is making his move on the council calling for a civil war, he sees the Uchiha as a threat. Naruto and I will try to quell a rebellion as long as possible.

“Already?” Shisui said reading the missive after Itachi.

“So it seems,” Itachi said looking out over the valley.

“This is bad.” Shisui mused.

“We will travel through Yugakure to the north of Sound and make our way south to his known base from there,” Itachi said.

“Let’s get the information we need and get home.” Shisui smiled.

“Hn,” Itachi said.

Itachi walked over to where Sakura was still sleeping and leaned over her to wake her gently. “Sakura.” He patted her face with his hand.

“Sakura, we need to leave.” He made to roll back her blanket gently but her hand took his in hers and she brought it to her chest snuggling it. Itachi stopped moving and looked down at her. She was smiling. He knew they had to get moving but he wanted to stay here and let her have his hand. A cough from behind had him pulling his hand away and pushing on her shoulder a little roughly.

Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up abruptly. “Itachi?”

“Sorry Sakura, we need to get going, Danzo sent three Root teams after us, we are going to head north into Yugakure, then back down to Orochimaru’s hideout through Sound,” Itachi said as he rolled her blanket back to pack it away.

Sakura nodded and got up to help him roll up the bedding. “I’m sorry I slept so long.”

“You needed it after your argument with Sasuke yesterday,” Itachi said.

“Uh yeah, I suppose so.” She said tying her weapons pouch and medic gear to her belt.

“Are you okay?” Itachi asked her.

“I’m fine.” She gave him a fake smile but he didn’t say anything about it, it wasn’t the time.

“We need to go, let’s teleport,” Shisui said.

“I’ll teleport you with me, keep your chakra,” Itachi told Sakura.

Shisui pulled out the visual map and pointed to the forest just inside Yugakure, let’s meet at this hot spring here, we will split into two, Sakura with you and me alone. Meet in three hours, send a summons if you need help.” Itachi nodded.

“How do you want to.” Sakura began but Itachi picked her up bridal style and they erupted into a murder of crows before she finished her sentence or saw the cloud of kunai hitting the cave wall where they once stood.

They appeared in a small forest, steam rose around them distorting their vision. Itachi activated his Sharingan. “We will walk from here, stay close, they just missed us at the cave. It will take 2 hours on foot to reach the hot spring Shisui picked out for us.”

Sakura nodded and walked close to Itachi. It was hard to see with all the steam around them, sounds were muffled and the air was heavy. She felt hot and sticky like she had been running and couldn’t get enough breath.

“Genjutsu. Don’t move.” Itachi said close to her ear and disappeared.

Everything was a blur. Sakura stood still but everything moved around her, Itachi was a blur. Shadows moved around her faster than she could see, metal on metal clashed behind her, in front of her, under her. Just as she was about to move her breath caught in her throat. He landed behind her and her footing swayed. She opened her eyes she hadn’t realized she had closed. They were in a tree on a branch high in the air. 

“How did we?” She began.

“Someone cast a high level genjutsu and we teleported into it. “Come.” He said and dropped to the ground.

There were bodies everywhere. Root operatives.

“So many.” Sakura clapped her hand to her mouth. “Itachi.”

“We need to move.” Itachi took her by the hand and they flickered to a familiar chakra signature.

“Two teams, that was only two teams, Sasuke said there were three teams sent after us.” She said as they stepped down beside Shisui.

“This was the third,” Shisui said sheathing his katana over his shoulder.

“And the Leaf Anbu?” Itachi said but relaxed as the shadows under the trees moved.

“Here Sir.” Six masked faces bowed to Itachi.

“Your brother sends you a message, Sir.” The masked voice was strained.

“What is it?” Itachi asked.

The masked figure hesitated. “Danzo and the council are dead. Sasuke requests your teams to return immediately. He says your informant has turned spy for Orochimaru and can not be trusted. You are in danger.”

Shisui and Itachi look at one another. Sakura can see the unspoken agreement or understanding of some kind.

“Dismissed. We will meet you in Konoha.” Itachi waves the Anbu away and turns to Sakura.

“This changes things, Sasuke is right we need to return to Konoha,” Itachi says.

“He killed Danzo and the council?” She asked them their opinion.

“I assume so,” Itachi said and Shisui nodded his agreement.

“But what about the rest of the Foundation?” She asked them looking from one to the other.

“I’m sure Sasuke has a plan, let’s get back to the village, we need to regroup,” Shisui said.

All three flickered away toward Konoha touching down twice for Sakura’s sake.

Sasuke and Naruto met them at the gate.

“All known Root have been eliminated. We have confiscated all of the Shimura clan records by order of the Lord Third, Ibiki and his team are rounding up and interrogating all other suspected operatives as we speak. A new council must be set in place. The Hokage has been informed of the depth of Danzo’s treason, he signed the warrant for his death as well as any remaining Root members.” Sasuke told them.

“Did you run into any complications?” Naruto asked.

“Three Root pursuit teams have been eliminated, the Anbu you sent to us should be returning shortly. No other complications were met.” Itachi said.

Kakashi dropped down beside them, “The Hokage requests an audience with you four right away.”

_____________

“10 more Root members have been discovered and eliminated, it seems the threat to our peace has been subdued for now. I never would have thought him capable of this.” Sarutobi shook his head sadly.

“I have notified each clan head requesting an elder to serve as a member for our new council.” The Hokage informed them.

“What do you think Orochimaru will do now that his contact within the Leaf is no longer available to him?” Sakura asked.

“Orochimaru is a careful man, he will not act recklessly. Without Danzo as his mole, he will have little if any opportunity to infiltrate and attack. He will bide his time and devise a new plan I am sure, but it will not be soon. Let us take this time to rebuild the council, strengthen morale and take the needed steps to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again.” The third Hokage said.

“I want to thank you Sasuke for doing what this old man could not. As I said, I never would have expected such treason from my old friend. Naruto, your shadow clones were essential to this victory, thank you. Without your clones to warn us of Danzo’s movements, we would have lost many more Leaf nin than we did. You have my gratitude.” The Hokage bowed to them.

“It is our village after all.” Naruto grinned and clipped Sasuke on the shoulder.

Sasuke grunted but nodded at the Hokage.

“Dismissed.” The Hokage said smiling at them.  
___________

“Orochimaru Sama, Danzo is dead, the council and the Foundation. They say it is the reincarnation of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. The ones the girl spoke of upon encountering the Second Hokage during our invasion.” Kabuto told Orochimaru’s hunched form.

“What of Itachi, did you meet with him?” Orochimaru stood up straight setting the scalpel down on the bloody tray beside him turning to Kabuto.

“No, my apologies, it seems he had been warned that I have turned on him. He knows I was the go between for you and Danzo and no longer trusts me. The Shimura clan’s records were confiscated, the Leaf now knows your connection with Danzo. What will you do now, Itachi’s team has returned to the Leaf, the girl in no longer on her way here to you.” Kabuto asked.

“I am not worried. I have time. Right now, I must concentrate on my little project. It’s a shame I never got the other eye from Danzo. One will have to do I suppose.” Orochimaru looked disappointedly at Kabuto.

“I will get it for you, Lord Orochimaru.” Kabuto bowed and left walking fast. He would need to get it before it was destroyed. He would leave tonight.

Orochimaru smiled, “Excellent.” He bent back over the dead form on his table. “Almost done, won’t it be nice to see your dear old brother again?” He spoke lovingly to the corpse.

__________________

“Where is Danzo’s body?” Itachi asked Sasuke, once they were out of the tower and down the stairs.

“Sealed in a scroll, I wanted Sakura to look at the Sharingan he stole, I want to know whos it is,” Sasuke replied.

“Hn,” Itachi said.

“But where we can’t take it to the cave in case it has traps sealed into it, we can’t take it to the hospital for the same reasons,” Sakura asked.

“The training seal, we will take it to our training grounds,” Naruto said.

“Good idea,” Sasuke said. “Follow us.” He said to Itachi and Shisui turning toward the forest.

No one noticed the rat sitting by the edge of the stairs to the Tower scurry after them.

Sasuke set the seals up and then moved tot he center of the field pulling the storage scroll from his waist. He laid the scroll on the ground and made the hand signs. Danzo’s body appeared in a puff of smoke before them.

“Let me check him for traps.” Itachi’s eyes bled red and his tomes spun.

“I have already done that, but if you feel the need to do it again, by all means, do so,” Sasuke told Itachi whose mouth tightened at his words.

“Enough of that,” Sakura said and kneeled before the corpse her hands already glowing with chakra. She ran her hands over the body slowly pausing at the eyes.

“Izuna.” She gasped and looked to Sasuke. “It is one of Izuna’s eyes!”

Sasuke dropped beside her and ripped the eye from the corpse. Sakura took one of her herb jars from her pouch and emptied it on the ground. Sasuke placed his brother’s eye in the jar. Sakura screwed the lid on and sealed it with chakra.

“Where is the other?” She asked looking around at the shocked faces, “Do we have any idea?”

“Danzo could not have gotten that by himself,” Shisui said.

“Orochimaru,” Itachi said clearly.

“How dare he.” Sasuke clenched his fists in anger, his eyes spun red and glowing. “HOW DARE HE!” Dark chakra billowed from his body, spilling over the ground, the corpse and the air around them.

Sakura stood and moved beside Naruto whose eyes were glazed over. 

“Naruto.” She whispered. He didn’t look at her.

“Naruto.” She said louder and his eyes cleared as he looked down at her.

“This is bad Sakura. Madara loved his little brother as much as he loves you.” Naruto watched his friend clench and unclench his fists, his body shaking with rage.

“Madara.” Sakura reached out for his hand.

“Get away from me.” He he said lowly without looking at her.

“Madara, let me help you.” She tried again.

Red chakra shot out from body knocking her across the field to slam into the sealed barrier’s wall.

“Madara!” Naruto yelled angrily at him, Kurama springing from the seal on Naruto’s abdomen with a roar.

Itachi lifted Sakura in his arms eyes red with anger, Shisui by his side.

Sasuke turned his ire on Itachi. “Put her down, she does not belong to you.”

“She does not belong to you either, even more so now, look what your lack of control has done.” Itachi gripped Sakura to his chest.

“Madara, friend, we need to get Izuna’s eye back. Let them watch over her. I will go with you. Kurama and I will help you get your brother’s eye back. She will be fine here.” Naruto tried to reason with him.

Sasuke didn’t move.

“Izuna would not want her to be put in danger, we can not take her with us.” Naruto tried again.

Sasuke did look up at this and nodded slowly.

“I will be back. Even if you do not think she is mine, she is definitely not yours.” Sasuke told Itachi. “I will be back.” He said again for emphasis.

Sasuke broke the seal. 

“Kurama!” Naruto called tot he Nine tails. “The faster we go the sooner we come back to her, let’s move.” They disappeared without even a flicker of their bodies.

“Let’s go to my house, we can seal it and there will be more protection in the compound than in their cave,” Shisui said.

“Hn,” Itachi said looking once more at Sakura before they flickered away.

They dropped down outside of Shisui’s house. Shisui immediately began sealing it and casting protection Jutsu around his home as Itachi took Sakura inside.

Itachi laid her down on Shisui’s pallet and checked her for injuries. She appeared to be knocked out nothing more. Itachi sat beside her pulling a blanket up over her and smoothing it over her small form.

Shisui came into the room and leaned against the doorframe watching.

“He doesn’t deserve her,” Itachi said.

“And you do?” Shisui asked him seriously.

“No,” Itachi said truthfully.

“What will he do?” Shisui asked Itachi.

“He will get his brother’s eye back and kill Orochimaru,” Itachi answered him voice flat.

“Will it be enough?” Shisui said.

“You mean the curse of our clan.” Itachi looked back over his shoulder at his cousin.

“Exactly,” Shisui said.

“Has anything ever been enough for the curse, it consumes us.” Itachi looked back down at Sakura.

“So it does.” Shisui sighed and turned to leave his cousin to his thoughts.

_________________

Kabuto met the cloaked figure a mile outside of Konoha.

“So, you’re alive. What news do you have for me.” Kabuto asked the short haired boy with the cut off shirt in front of him.

“Sasuke and Naruto have left the Leaf to get Izuna’s eye back from Lord Orochimaru, the girl is with the Uchiha in their compound.” The pale boy spoke slowly and without emotion.

“Well done Sai. Danzo’s body?” Kabuto asked.

“Sasuke Uchiha took it, along with Izuna Uchiha’s eye,” Sai reported.

“The girl will be too well protected inside of the Uchiha compound. Come, we will try to take the eye before they reach Lord Orochimaru.” Kabuto said and turned back toward Sound.

__________________

Orochimaru could feel their approach. It had been several hours since Kabuto had left. They must be traveling at an incredible speed. An evil grin form upon his face. He relished the thought of what sort of a reaction he would get when he revealed his latest project to his visitors.

It had not been easy finding and stealing Izuna Uchiha’s remains from the Leaf. The Uchiha burial grounds were secret, that is why he had made the alliance with Danzo. He had needed someone high up on the inside of Konoha. Once the location of the body had been discovered Orochimaru had taken it and Danzo to his lab. He would get one eye, Danzo the other. A fair trade.

Sasuke and Naruto paused at the Valley of the End. 

“He will be expecting us,” Naruto said.

“He will be dead soon.” Sasuke hissed.

Naruto was nervous, he had never seen Madara this angry before. What if his friend lost control, would he be able to contain him?

Kurama whispered to him in his head. Naruto nodded his thanks to the fox. If they had to, they would.

Orochimaru didn’t even bother hiding his chakra. He stood to wait for them at the entrance to his hideout. They came just after nightfall, chakra swirling around them like a cloak.

“Sasuke Uchiha, welcome. I have been expecting you.” Orochimaru’s oily voice slithered across the open space between them.

“And the Nine Tails Jinchiriki, such a pleasure. Or would you prefer Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.?” Orochimaru asked in mock curtesy.

“Maggot!” Kurama burst forth from Naruto’s seal.

“I see you brought your pet.” Orochimaru laughed. “I brought something too.”

“Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu!” Orochimaru crows.

A scroll springs from his sleeve, a body lays and is wrapped in dust and dirt forming into…

“Izuna,” Sasuke whispers in disbelief.

Izuna Uchiha raises from the scroll to stand before Sasuke and Naruto.

“Izuna!” Sasuke yells.

“Who are you, wait, that chakra. Madara?” Izuna raises a hand to his face touching it lightly.

“Why am I here brother, you look different, what is going on?” Izuna looks around the small clearing his Sharingan activates and he grabs his head in pain.

“My eye, where is my other eye!” Izuna staggers back and Sasuke shoots forward grabbing him before he can fall.

“It was stolen, by the man who has just brought you back from the dead. I have it here brother.” Sasuke pulls the jar from his pouch to show Izuna.

“Shizuka helped me seal it for you. Before it is too late, I will take your other eye from you. Rejoin the world of the dead brother and rest in peace.” Sasuke reaches for Izuna’s eye as Izuna nods.

“I think not,” Orochimaru says pressing a seal to the scroll locking Izuna in place.

“What is this?” Izuna looks to Sasuke and then to Orochimaru.

“I brought you back from the dead, now do my bidding, take your brother’s eye for me!” Orochimaru laughs.

“Izuna look at me.” Sasuke’s eye spin and burn red.

Izuna smiles as the light fades from his one eye.

“Izanagi.” Izuna mouths and smiles as his will leaves his reanimated body.

“NO!” Orochimaru cries.

“Yes,” Sasuke says grabbing his brother pushing him to Naruto.

“Now Hashirama!” 

“Wood release.” Wood springs up from the earth in the form of tendrils spreading out and encasing the corpse of Izuna in its wooden prison.

“We are Uchiha, do not think we are so weak to be used by the likes of you!” Sasuke leaped into the air Gun Bai pulled from his weapons scroll and comes crashing down on Orochimaru from bove.

“Kurama!” Naruto yells and the Fox leaps into action coming down beside Sasuke searching.

“You are impressive.” Orochimaru climbs out of his own body on the ground like a snake shedding its skin.

Kurama stomps on the ground missign the snake. 

Sasuke steps forward, “Get back. Fire Release, Great Fire Annihilation!” A sea of unbelievable flames erupts from his mouth flooding the small space like dragon’s breath. Orochimaru’s eyes go wide and are soon lost in the flaming world before them.

“A little overkill don’t you think?” Naruto wipes the sweat from his brow.

“Brother.” Izuna sits up behind them coughing.

“Izuna.” Sasuke runs to his brother’s side helping him to stand.

“You.” Izuna coughed again, “Used Izanagi didn’t you?”

“Yes, I set it to activate upon Orochimaru’s death, your soul has returned as well as your free will,” Sasuke told him.

“You, you are so young, and, you look...more like me than you look like yourself.” Izuna laughed painfully.

“That’s what happens when I leave the mainline to your spawn,” Sasuke told him smiling.

“Is he, is he back now for good?” Naruto asked hesitantly.

“Hashirama?” Izuna asked.

“Good to see you again Izuna.” Naruto smiled at him.

“I don’t have long, I can feel my life force leaving me already, my chakra is slipping away. Take my other eye brother, use them, my last gift.” Izuna sighed and sat down heavily.

“Shizuka was reincarnated Izuna, we are all here. Maybe she can heal you, or seal your chakra inside of this reanimated body if we get you back to her quickly maybe she can.” Izuna raised his hand and cut him off.

“No brother, I don’t belong to this world anymore. Let me be at peace. Tell your fairy, thank you for me, for taking care of you in this life and for the last one.” Izuna took a deep breath and closed his eye.

“Take my eye brother, I am fading.” Izuna smiled at Sasuke and took his hand bringing it to his eye.

Sasuke grit his teeth and took Izuna’s eye from his socket. Izuna jerked once and began to fall forward but Sasuke caught him and held him as his chakra left him.

Naruto pulled a storage scroll from his pouch and sealed Izuna’s body in it for Sasuke while Sasuke sealed Izuna’s right eye with his left in the jar Sakura had given him.

“Rest in peace brother.” Sasuke raised his head to the night sky and closed his eyes.

“Let’s go home, to Sakura Sasuke.” Naruto stood up tucking the storage scroll in his pouch and calling Kurama back to his seal.

“Home,” Sasuke said opening his eyes and staring up into the stars.

“Hn.”

Kabuto hid in the dense undergrowth of the forest and watched them leave. After he was sure they had gone he crawled out and entered Orochimaru’s hideout, Sai close on his heels.


	13. The End

Sakura’s eyes opened slowly. Her head hurt. The last thing she remembered was Madara’s chakra hitting her square in the chest. “Izuna.” She tried to sit up but her head throbbed and she slowly laid back down

“Sakura.” Itachi was by her side and took her hand in his. “Lay down, don’t sit up yet. Madara’s chakra hit you pretty hard.”

“Where is he?” She asked turning her head slowly to look up at Itachi.

“He went to kill Orochimaru and get back his brother’s other eye.” Itachi told her.

“Izuna.” Tears slipped from her eyes and pooled in her ears.

“Why can’t the dead stay dead. Tobirama, what have you done.” More tears slipped from her eyes and she closed then shut.

“It was not Tobirama it was Orochimaru. The Second Hokage did not create a functioning Jutsu, Orochimaru warped and perverted it, making it what it is today.” Itachi said in Tobirama’s defense.

“Still,” Sakura said lamely, eyes still closed.

“Did Naruto go with him?” She asked.

“Yes, they should be back soon. I don’t think it will take long for Madara to take back Izuna Sama’s eye and kill the snake.” Itachi told her.

“This was not our dream.” She said as if to herself.

“Dreams are what you make them, and sometimes dreams change.” He said quietly.

“Itachi.” She opened her eyes.

“Sakura I…” Itachi sighed. “They have returned. I can feel them on the outskirts of Konoha coming fast, they know you’re here.” He rose letting go of her hand.

“Where am I?” She tried to sit up again but her head throbbed and she lay back down.

“Shisui’s house,” Itachi said looking down at her with an unreadable expression.

“We brought you here after Madara struck you.” Itachi told her walking tot he door..”They will be here soon. I will make some tea.”

Sakura closed her eyes again and reached her senses out to feel him and Naruto making their way to her. Her boys.

Shisui answered the door with a wave and stepped aside to let them into the house. “She’s resting in the bedroom.” 

Sasuke entered the bedroom but Naruto waited outside int he living room with Itachi and Shisui.

“Sakura, I have returned with my brother’s eye. That maggot, he used the forbidden Jutsu on his corpse, I saw him Shizuka. I saw my brother again.” He fell to his knees by the bed and took her into his arms holding her tight.

“Are you okay, did I hurt you.” He fell apart in her arms.

“Where is Izuna now?” Sakura asked gently rubbing his back as she hugged him.

“Hashi brought him home with us, in a scroll.” Sasuke let go of her to pull the jar from his pouch. “His last gift to me.” He set the jar on the futon beside her.

“Can you, can you help me with them?” He pulled her face to his and rested his forehead on hers. “Please.”

____________

It was a month before the new village council was finalized and welcomed with ceremony. All the Root members had been terminated and the village was safe once again, for now.

Sakura had transplanted Izuna’s eyes and Madara now had an Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

They buried Izuna next to their graves in the cave. Eventually, they would all be together again.

There had been no further threats from Kabuto or his associate Sai. Rumors came into the village periodically as they roamed the five great nations but nothing ever came of them.

Team 7 settled back into a routine, went on missions, and served as unofficial council members to the Hokage who valued their insight and knowledge.

Two years had passed when rumors started flooding the five great nations about a new terrorist group called the Akatsuki wreaking havoc in Rain.

Sasuke and Sakura got married, moved into the cave permanently and were expecting their firstborn in a few months.

“Is it a boy or a girl do you know Sakura?” Naruto was eyeing her stomach as if he could tell by looking hard enough at it.

“It is a boy, his name is Izuna.” She smiled up at her husband and he kissed her lightly on the forehead.

They were sitting by the river, in their spot watching the water flow by them as they talked.

“Itachi and Shisui are coming.” Sakura smiled as she felt her other boys heading their way.

“Good, I have been waiting for them to get back, I hope they have found the Akatsuki base. The last rumor was they are collecting Jinchiriki and have set their target on Gaara of the desert the new Kazekage.” Sasuke said looking to the forest’s edge.

“Things sure have changed, remember when you wanted to kill Gaara and now you see him almost once a month at political gatherings as the Kazekage?” Sakura laughed but stopped as she felt a kick.

“He still asks how you are, the little twerp.” Sasuke scowled at his wife.

“He only does it to rile you up.” Naruto laughed and poked his friend in the arm. “Lighten up, he knows you are married and expecting soon. He sent you a gift remember?”

“I do,” Sasuke said stiffly thinking of the huge stuffed Shukaku toy that took up half the bedroom.

Sakura giggled and sipped on her tea as Shisui and Itachi walked out of the forest and unsealed their barrier.

“Why do you keep this place sealed still?” Shisui complained.

“Madara likes his privacy.” Sakura teased her husband.

“What news on the Akatsuki,” Madara spoke directly to Itachi ignoring the others.

“The rumors are true, they have attacked Suna and they are moving into Fire for the Nine Tails.” Itachi looked from Sasuke to Naruto.

Sasuke smiled a wicked smile pulling his Gun Bai from his back. “Well, we should go meet them shouldn’t we?”

“Hn.” Itachi smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote several more chapters after this one but it seemed to be drawing the plot out pointlessly, so I cut it short.


End file.
